Getting Lost
by Vican
Summary: A lonely author, a blue eyed angel, a golden mischief maker and the quintessential DILFward; mix them altogether, and what do you get? Only time will tell... AU/AH, rated M for adult content and language.
1. Taking a walk

**Getting Lost**

**Summary: A lonely author, a blue eyed angel, a golden mischief maker and the quintessential DILFward; mix them altogether, and what do you get? Only time will tell... AU/AH, rated M for adult content and language.**

**This was originally a one-shot written for Ninapolitan's D.I.L.F-contest that I am now continuing. That is why this first chapter is so long - the chapters after this won't be this long, I promise *grin***

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 1: Taking a walk**

BPOV

"Jake – get off your lazy ass and get over here!"

Silence.

Obviously.

_Stupid mutt_.

"Jake, I'm serious; if you're not standing by this door in 10 seconds, I'll leave without you!" I threatened, glaring at him. He just looked back at me with his puppy dog eyes, feigning innocence by cooking his head to the side in a rather ridiculous gesture.

I ignored the way my heart melted a little at the sight – I didn't feel like playing his stupid games.

"Ten, nine, eight…," I began to count down slowly, walking backwards towards the door. Jake's head perked up as I gained his attention.

When I raised my arm towards the coat rack, he stood up slowly and took a hesitant step towards me. "Five, four…," I grabbed the item closest to my hand, and at the sight of it, Jake sprinted down the hallway, bounding up to me faster than I thought possible on his short stubby legs.

"Aww, Jake, I knew you only needed a little encourage- no, stop jumping! Calm down would ya? Sheesh." I tried to glare a little at him again, but it was a hopeless battle – he was just too fucking adorable. I sighed resignedly with a smile, hunching down to pat him on the head. "What _am_ I going to do with you, huh?" I asked him before fastening the collar around his neck, hooking the leash to it quickly. He barked happily and licked my face as I scratched him behind his ears. "Who's a good doggie?" I asked him in that stupid, crooning voice people reserve exclusively for babies and cuddly animals.

He followed me excitedly out the door, the lazy and happy puppy from only moments before out of sight and out of mind. The elevator ride down to the lobby was silent save for the rhythmic thumps of Jake's tail hitting the floor repeatedly.

As the doors pulled open, I took a firm grasp on Jake's leash to stop him from potentially trying to run away from me. I had learned from experience that this sometimes happened in his delight at talking a walk around the park. He lived for these walks, the poor guy.

The walk to the park was quick, and not before long, Jake and I were strolling down one of the many paths that weaved in and out of the wooded area. It was a beautiful day for a walk – there wasn't a cloud in the sky, with a gentle breeze that stopped the sun from feeling too hot.

Jake was running all over the place, darting back and forth across the path, sniffing everything he laid eyes on. I was used to this kind of behaviour, so I just let him discover his surroundings and tried my best not to trip over him as he darted back and forth in front of my feet.

We were nearing the large patch of grass where dogs could run free when Jake suddenly stopped. He had been walking behind me, so the resulting tug as he stopped almost made me fall over as I twisted back.

"Jake! What are you doing?" He was staring intently at a large bush right next to the path, not moving a muscle. I gave an experimental pull on the leash to see if he would react, but he didn't even flinch.

After a few seconds, he took a few slow steps forward, still focusing all his attention on the bush. I wondered if maybe there was some kind of animal in there or something, and I took a step towards him hesitantly – I didn't want him to get hurt.

Suddenly, he let out a playful bark, but I froze as a scared whimper sounded from somewhere behind the bush, followed instantly by a series of quiet sniffles. I walked over to where Jake was standing and peered into the bush.

"Hello?" I asked, feeling a little stupid. That is, until I heard a definite gasp, and a rather poor attempt to stop the sniffling. I walked closer to the bush, looking behind it.

I blinked in surprise as seeing a small girl hunched over on the ground. She had beautiful long hair, a very light brown with red undertones, that was currently spreading out around her as she rested her head on her drawn-up knees. Her whole body seemed to be trembling – either from fright or from suppressing tears, I couldn't tell.

I quickly looked around, in some kind of instinct to find another adult who this girl might belong to. The path was completely abandoned.

I felt something brushing against my leg, and I looked down to see Jake walking past me towards the girl. I firmly held his leash, not wanting him to go near her and scare the poor girl even more.

Not really sure what to do, I took a deep breath and leaned down towards her a little. "Uhm… hi," I said softly, noticing how she completely froze for a second before slowly looking up at me. She couldn't have been older than five or six. She was completely adorable, despite her red eyes and tear streaked cheeks. Her bottom lip trembled, tears spilling from her eyes as she shrank back from me a bit. I felt a small ache in my heart at the sight of her – she looked so scared; all I wanted to do was pick her up and comfort her.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, pulling Jake towards me again as he tried to step forward. The little girls eyes darted down to the puppy by my feet before she looked up at my face again. Her own face crumpled a little as she bit her lip, trying to stop another sob from breaking through.

I floundered a bit, not really sure what to say to the silent girl. I went with the first thought that popped into my mind. "Are you lost?"

At that, a heart wrenching sob left her, and she buried her head against her arms again, her shoulder shaking as she cried.

"I'll take that as a yes," I mumbled under my breath. I looked down at Jake, who was starring intently at the little girl. I snapped my fingers to make him look up at me. "Jake, go sit over there," I said as I pointed a few feet back. He instantly walked to where I was pointing, sitting down at my command to stay. He whined a little, but didn't disobey me. I dropped the leash on the ground as I took a few steps closer to the little girl.

"What's your name?" I asked her as I sank down on the grass. She didn't respond, only tried to make herself even smaller by hunching down as close to her knees as she could.

I frowned, not really sure how to get through to her. I really had no experience with children, and I bit my lip as I tried to figure out what to do. After a moment longer of her sobbing next to me, I did the only thing I could think of – I put myself in her shoes. If I got lost when I was five years old and a stranger found me, what would I do?

_Ooh, right…_

"Let me guess – 'don't talk to strangers'?" I asked her, smiling with a bit of relief when she lifted her head a little and looked up at me. She gave a hesitant nod. I smiled as reassuringly as I could. "My dad used to say that to me all the time when I was a little girl. He was a cop, you know, so he knew what he was talking about."

She swallowed slowly as she looked at me, raising one hand to wipe at the tears falling from her beautiful blue eyes. Progress perhaps? I continued on, hoping she would warm up to me enough to let me help her find her parents.

"Is that why you are hiding behind here? To get away from the strangers?"

Again, she nodded hesitantly as she sniffed, straightening up just a little bit more. I inwardly sighed with relief – it seemed to be working.

"Did your daddy warn you not to talk to strangers?" Another nod. "Well, you're a good girl for listening to him, aren't you?" I tried to sound as kind as I possibly could, speaking quietly. For some reason I was treating her almost like a scared animal; no sudden movements or loud noises, or else I might startle her.

"I'm Bella," I told her next. I then pointed over my shoulder. "And that's Jake, my dog." Her eyes darted over to him, and I saw a sparkle of curiosity in her eyes. "Do you want to tell me your name?"

She looked back at me, and I could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she thought about it. I patiently waited for her to make up her mind.

"Maddie," she finally whispered, and I smiled hugely at her.

"Maddie – that's such a pretty name," I told her, earning me a tiny little smile from her.

"Thank you," she continued in the same quiet whisper, and she was quiet for a beat before opening her mouth again. "Bella is a pretty name, too," she told me in a slightly louder voice.

"Thank you, Maddie," I said. I bit my lip as I hesitated, but I decided to just jump straight in. "Do you want to tell me how you got lost? I'll help you find your parents, if you'd like."

To my dismay, my words caused her to start crying heavily again. She started speaking, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. I leaned in closer, and after listening carefully, I realised what she was saying. "I di-didn't mean t-to," she repeated over and over again. "I didn't m-mean t-to."

"Oh, Maddie, it's ok – don't cry, we'll find you parents, I promise." I reached out a hand and rubbed small circles on her back, trying to reassure her. She stiffened up for a second, before she suddenly threw herself at me, wrapping her tiny arms around my neck as she sobbed hysterically. "Honey, it's ok… shh," I whispered against her hair, letting nonsense fall from my lips as I comforted her.

After a few minutes, it finally seemed as if she had cried herself out. Only the occasional sniffle sounded from her as I rubbed her back. "Tell me what happened, Maddie," I told her softly.

She took a deep breathe as she prepared herself. "Daddy and auntie Alice took me here so that we could play," she started, her voice a little wobbly. "I wanted to look at the puppies, but daddy said we had to have lunch first." At this, her voice broke a little, and her next words came out in another sob. "They were making our picnic, and they didn't see when I ran away." She buried her head harder into my shoulder, trying to hold back more sobs.

I thought I understood her explanation – her dad and aunt most likely took her to the playground not far from where we currently were. It seemed as if Maddie had wanted to come here to look at the dogs, but got lost on the way. I didn't blame her; even though the playground wasn't far from here, the path that connected the two areas went straight through a small wooded area and connected with many other paths. Even I got confused sometimes. The thing that worried me the most, though, was that she had said something about eating lunch before she ran away. It was almost 3 pm now – who knew how long she had been missing.

"Maddie, it's not your fault – you got lost, that's all. I get lost sometimes too," I told her, trying to make her feel better.

She raised her head a little and looked at me. "You do?" she asked hesitantly. Her face crunched up in confusion. "But you're old."

A surprised laugh left my mouth at her reasoning, but I guessed that for a five-year old little girl, grown-ups weren't supposed to get lost.

"Yeah, well, it's not always easy making it from one place to the other," I laughed, making her giggle a little.

Suddenly, Jake barked behind me, sounding a bit impatient. Maddie immediately looked at him, that curious look in her eyes returning. I thought for a second before making a quick decision.

"Jake, come here," I told him and he instantly bounded over to us. "Say hello to Maddie," I said as he stretched his head out to smell her. "Just put your hand out for him Maddie, so he can say hi."

It seemed as if Jake's happy personality instantly made Maddie feel better, and it didn't take long for the two of them to thoroughly enjoy each other's company. Maddie eagerly scratched and patted him as he licked her face enthusiastically.

"Alright, how about we try to find your daddy, ok?" I asked her after another few minutes as I got up from the ground. She looked up at me and nodded, biting her lip. I bent down to the ground and picked up Jake's leash, before stretching my other hand out to Maddie. She quickly grabbed it and followed me back onto the path. As we walked she rubbed her eyes with her free hand, trying to get all the tears out.

"How old are you, Maddie?" I asked her, trying to make small-talk as we walked towards the playground. I didn't know where else to take her – it was probably a long-shot to assume that her dad would still be there, but it was the best place to start.

"Five," she answered, confirming my guess. With a child's typical curiosity, she asked me back. "How old are you?"

"I'm 28," I answered her, watching with amusement how her face once again crunched up as she tried to wrap her mind around the concept of so many years.

She looked up at me and opened her mouth to say something, just when a shriek rang through the air.

"Maddie! Oh my god, Maddie, you're ok!"

She and I both looked up to see a tiny woman practically flying down the path towards us.

"Auntie Alice!" Maddie cried out and I quickly let go of her hand so that she could run forward. I watched as the tiny woman dropped down to her knees as soon as she reached Maddie, and wrapped her arms tightly around her, rocking back and forth with closed eyes.

"Thank god you're safe… thank god," she mumbled into the little girls hair.

"I'm s-sorry!" Maddie wailed into her shoulder repeatedly, once again sobbing her little heart out. She would be completely exhausted at the end of the day.

I slowly approached the two of them, not really sure what to do. I didn't just want to leave, but I didn't know what I should say either.

However, the tiny woman made the decision for me. She opened her eyes and looked at me when she heard me approaching and she smiled hugely. She wrapped her arms tightly around Maddie and stood up with the little girl firmly attached to her.

"You found her?" she asked me and I nodded quickly as I pointed back towards the bush.

"My dog was actually the one who found her behind that bush over there. She was hiding from strangers," I explained, before remembering my manners. "Oh, sorry – I'm Bella," I told her.

"Alice," she smiled, and I was suddenly struck with the notion that I faintly recognised her. I couldn't remember having met her before, but there was something familiar about her face; the black, spiky hair and delicate features… I couldn't place it.

"I can't thank you enough, Bella. We've been looking all over the place for almost two hours, worried sick," Alice said. "Oh god, I need to call Edward…" she mumbled. She awkwardly tried to shift the crying little girl currently hanging off her, presumably to get her phone. I stepped forward and held out my arms.

"Do you want me to take her?" I asked, and Alice smiled at me.

"Thanks, that would be great. Edward, my brother, is completely beside himself with worry – he made me promise to call him if I found her," she said as she tried to pry Maddie's arms away from her. "Maddie, sweetheart, let go for a sec would you? I need to call daddy and tell him I found you, ok? Here, Bella's got you…" she said as I reached out and plucked Maddie from her arms. Without missing a beat, she wrapped all her little limbs around me and buried her head in my neck again.

Alice pulled out her phone and within seconds she had it pressed against her ear. It didn't surprise me that it only seemed to take one ring before this Edward guy answered.

"Edward, I got her, she's fine," Alice rambled off, her voice saturated with relief. "A woman, Bella, found her hiding behind a bush near the dog-walk."

Alice paused, listening to what Edward was saying. "No, she's not hurt, she's fine – just very upset." She paused again, looking at Maddie the whole time. "We'll meet you there, ok?... Yeah, see you in a bit. Bye." She ended the call and looked at me quickly. "Do you mind holding her another minute? I need to call my husband and tell him to meet us at the playground."

"Yeah, sure, no problem," I answered her quickly, rubbing Maddie's back.

Alice smiled. "Do you mind coming with us to the playground? He didn't say anything, but I'm sure Edward would like to meet you and say thanks."

"Oh… uhm, yeah, sure, I don't mind," I floundered

Her call to her husband went along the same lines as she one she had with Edward, reassuring him that his niece was fine and that he should meet them at the playground.

Alice stopped as she slid the phone back in her pocket and opened her arms. "I can take her now," she said and I carefully transferred the girl to her aunt's embrace again. "Thanks Bella." Alice started walking down the path as she patted Maddie's back.

I actually had to struggle a bit to keep up with her, despite the fact that she was tiny and carrying a quite heavy child.

"Maddie, what happened? You know you can't run away on your own like that, honey – daddy was so worried about you," Alice said quietly to her nice.

Maddie didn't say a word, only cried into Alice's shoulder. I decided to step in with the little bit of information I had been able to drag out of her.

"She said she wanted to look at the puppies," I said, making Alice turn her head to look at me. She didn't look annoyed or anything, so I assumed she didn't mind me interfering. "She said her dad – Edward, right? – Yeah, he had said something about eating lunch first, but I guess she got a bit impatient and decided to go look for the dogs on her own. I think she was trying to find her way to the field where dogs can run free," I said.

Alice nodded slowly. "She always has loved dogs. I'm just waiting for the day Edward caves and gets one of their own."

I smiled a little. I looked at Maddie, who now had her head turned towards me. "I've always loved dogs to," I told her. She rubbed her eyes again, seeming pretty tired, but she still managed a small smile. I turned my attention back to Alice. "I don't know how long she'd been sitting behind that bush – I only found her 10 minutes ago."

Alice smiled a little grimly at me. "Well, thank god you did – who knows what could have happened if you had just walked straight past her."

I beamed down at Jake. "Yeah, Jake's a real hero today. I might have to give him a treat tonight."

Alice laughed a little, the sound like a tinkering bell. "Maybe I should too," she said.

We continued walking for awhile longer, and I asked Alice a bit about why they were at the park today. Turns out this Edward guy was a single parent, but his job took up quite a lot of his time during the week, so he always tried to do something with Maddie during the weekend. I smiled as Alice talked about the things Maddie and her father usually did together – having grown up with only my dad after mom left us when I was three years old, I could sympathise with both Maddie and Edward. I knew how it felt to only have your dad, and I knew how difficult it could be for the dad to find the time to fill not only his role, but the missing parents' as well.

I found myself appreciative of Edward's apparent love for his daughter; Charlie's idea of good father-daughter time included a fishing trip and watching baseball. While I didn't much like these activities, I still knew that Charlie was doing his best to spend some time with me, so I never really voiced my dislike for what we did together. The important thing was that I got to spend some time with him growing up. This Edward guy however, seemed to really take the time to plan new and different activities for himself and his daughter whenever he could, and I couldn't help but kinda like him for it.

A few minutes later we stepped out onto the playground. Alice made her way over to the picnic-tables, sitting down at one in the shade of a big tree. I followed her and Maddie and sat down next to them.

"Edward should be here any minute. He wasn't far away," Alice said as she stroked Maddie's hair.

"Yeah, no worries – I don't have anywhere I need to be," I smiled. Jake pulled a little on his leash, gaining my attention. "Jake, sit," I said to the dog, pointing to the ground next to me.

Alice looked at him as he did what he was told, a smile playing on her lips. "He's a good dog," she offered.

I laughed a little, stroking Jake's head. "Yeah, he's the best." Jake looked up at me, tongue hanging out and tail wagging against the ground.

"Golden Retriever, right?" Alice asked.

I nodded to her. "Yeah, I used to have one when I was a child, and I've always loved them, so I decided to get him to congratulate myself." I stopped talking abruptly, wishing I hadn't just said that. I didn't really want to get into why I had wanted to congratulate myself. For some reason it always embarrassed me a little to tell people. Alice didn't pick up on my hesitation, and went ahead and asked, just as I knew she would.

"Congratulate yourself for what?"

I looked down at the ground and blushed a little. "I, uh… I published my first novel," I mumbled, picking at the leash in my hands.

"No way!" Alice exclaimed. "That's amazing. Hey, wait a minute… Oh my god, you're Bella Swan, aren't you?" She barely waited for my hesitative nod before launching into a fast-paced word vomit. "Oh my god, that is so cool – I just finished reading your book last night! It was incredible, you're so talented, Bella! I really loved the relationship you created between Jamie and Anna, it was so perfect! And the ending… god, I was on pins and needles the whole time! Do you think you'll do a sequel? Oh, do you think it would ever be made into a movie? That would be awesome, I'd really love to see it on the big screen, you know? I could totally pick out the perfect actors! Do you think you'd get any say in the screenplay? Because otherwise they might try and change it too much, and they really shouldn't do that – it's perfect just the way it is!"

I blinked in disbelief at her as she managed to spout all of that in just two breaths. Suddenly, her arm flew out and she grabbed me excitedly. "Oo, I just remembered! Oh god, this is great! I was just talking about this yesterday with my husband! You'll never guess who he is! You just _have_ to meet him. This is so exciting!" She grinned widely at me, completely ignoring my extreme confusion.

"Uh…" I managed to get out. "Ok…?"

She opened her mouth to say something else, but was suddenly interrupted by a loud shout. "Alice!" She turned her head around and I followed her gaze.

Half-jogging towards us was a very good-looking guy, with honey coloured, wavy hair. I frowned a little – I recognised that hair…

As the man got closer, I gasped. "No way…" I whispered. Alice turned to me and grinned widely.

"Yes way!" she giggled. "Jasper, you have no idea who it was that found Maddie!" she shouted to her husband.

I stared in disbelief as Jasper, my childhood best friend, quickly approached. He looked confused at Alice's statement, but he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. He stared at me for a few seconds before a huge grin spread over his face and he ran over to us.

I stood up as he approached, laughing a little at how happy he looked. It had been a few years since I last saw him, but he still looked the same – besides the obvious affects of aging, he was still the same Jasper that I remembered.

"Bella, is that really you?" he asked, and at my nod he laughed and wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. "I can't believe it! I mean, I knew you lived here, but I never thought I'd run into you like this." He stepped away from me, looking me up and down. "You look good," he said, grinning cheekily at me.

I laughed happily. "You too. It's so good to see you." I suddenly realised why Alice looked so familiar. I clapped a hand to my forehead and turned to her. "Alice, Jasper's wife! I knew I recognised you! It must have been from those photos from your wedding," I told her. I gave them both an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there – I would have loved to come."

I had been busy with my book tour when they got married, and I had been unable to attend. Jasper brushed it off.

"Don't worry about it, Bella, we understood why you couldn't come. Speaking of which – congratulations on your book! Alice hasn't been able to shut up about it ever since she first picked it up," he smiled, winking at his wife who playfully stuck out her tongue at him.

I smiled at their interaction, feeling it warm my heart. I had known Jasper since we were four years old, and it was important to me that he was happy. Alice certainly seemed to make him that, so I could be nothing but thrilled that he had found her.

Just then, Alice suddenly stood up and raised her arm in the air, waving it. "Edward, over here!"

I turned in the direction she was looking, and the sight that met me caused a spontaneous rush of drool to puddle in my mouth. The man quickly jogging over to us was quite honestly the most gorgeous being I had ever laid eyes on. The bronze flop of hair on his head could best be described as fuck-hot sex hair, sticking out in every direction. The sunlight glinting of it brought out the extraordinary colour, and I dimly realised where the red undertones in Maddie's hair came from.

His face was indescribably beautiful, with a jaw so prominent and chiselled that I wanted to weep. I was surprised to find that he looked to be about my age – he must have been young when Maddie was born. As he got closer and closer I saw that his eyes were green – eyes he only had for his daughter at the moment. He didn't even acknowledge his sister or brother-in-law as he rushed up to the bench where Maddie was sitting.

"Maddie, don't you _ever_ do that to me again!" he told her as he picked her up from the bench, relief flooding his voice as he wrapped his arms around her. His voice sent tremors through me with its velvet smoothness, making my as-of-late rather neglected girly parts come to life.

I mentally slapped myself and swallowed the excess drool, trying to pretend like the man in front of me wasn't the epitome of every sex dream I had ever had. _Bella, seriously, the man is talking to his daughter who got lost – now is not the time to think about how his voice sounds like melted sex and honey, no matter how long it's been since your last fuck, ok?_

Edward continued mumbling into Maddie's hair, rocking them back and forth. "What were you thinking, honey? You can't just walk off like that – you almost gave daddy a heart attack," he told her. At this, she broke down in tears yet again, sobbing loudly as she clung to Edward's neck for dear life. I felt so bad for the poor girl – seeing her cry once was enough to break my heart. I'd seen it happen more times than I cared to count in the span of 20 minutes, and I didn't know if I would be able to see her break down one more time after this.

"I-I'm s-s-so-orry, daddy!" she wailed into his neck, her whole body shaking with the force of her sobs. Edward rubbed her back soothingly.

"Shh, honey, don't cry… just promise me you won't ever do that again, ok? Shh, it's ok sweetheart… shh," he mumbled over and over again.

I tried not to notice how the muscles in his arms moved as he rubbed her back, or how wide his shoulders were, or how tall he was, or how his jeans fit him perfectly, sitting low on his lean hips.

Yeah… I probably could have tried harder.

After a moment I shifted a little awkwardly from foot to foot. I started to wonder if maybe I should say something, but I didn't really know what. '_Hey, I'm the stranger who found your daughter hiding behind a bush – nice to meet you_'? No, that didn't really sound too spectacular.

Suddenly, Alice piped up. "Oh! Sorry, I forgot – Edward, this is Bella," she said, motioning to me. "She's the one who found Maddie."

His head snapped up from his daughters hair, and his eyes met mine. I narrowly avoided gasping out loud as his emerald green eyes locked with mine – there were so many emotions swimming around in those green depths, gratitude and relief being the most prominent ones. I started blushing under his intense gaze, and I smiled, a little embarrassed.

I raised my hand and waved awkwardly. "Uhm, hi."

He smiled at me, and I realised I needed to change my panties. He took a few steps towards me, shifting Maddie a little so that he could hold out his hand.

"Bella, I can't thank you enough," he said as I reached out to shake his hand, his voice saturated with more relief and happiness. I, however, was more prone to notice how amazing my name sounded coming off his lips. My heart skipped a beat as our skin touched, and then began to pound away under my ribs as he held my hand firmly in his own.

He let go after a moment and I floundered a bit to relocate the part of my brain that enabled me to speak. "It, eh… I-…"

_Smooth Bella. You're a fucking idiot. _

I swallowed hard and forced myself to get a grip. I smiled back at the man-god before me. "It was nothing – I didn't really do much besides getting her back on the path where Alice ran into us."

He grinned crookedly at me, and my breath hitched just a little bit. I controlled my sputtering as I opened my mouth to speak again. "I should probably tell you that it took a while to get her to talk to me – it seemed as if your 'Don't talk to strangers' advice really stuck," I said, making Edward laugh.

It was the most amazing sound I had ever heard.

"Well, that's always something I guess," he told me, amusement colouring his voice. He looked down at his daughter. "Maddie, did you say thank you to Bella?"

The little girl shook her head, but she instantly lifted it to look at me, wiping the tears away from her face. "Thank you, Bella," she said in her beautiful voice, sounding completely exhausted. I smiled gently at her, reaching out to brush some hair away from her face.

"You're welcome, Maddie," I said to her. I could feel Edward looking intently at me as I smiled at his daughter, and I found myself unable to _not_ look up and meet his gaze. There was a most peculiar expression on his face that I couldn't read, but his smile was gentle and warm, and I felt my breathing picking up just a little from being so near him.

I couldn't tear my gaze away from him until Alice's voice suddenly broke through my concentration.

"Edward, you'll never guess who Bella is!" she squealed excitedly.

Edward looked at his sister with a confused expression. "She's… Bella?"

Alice flapped her hand a little, as if to brush away his answer. "No, she's Bella Swan! You know, Jasper's old friend from Forks, the author – I just finished reading her book last night!"

Edward's eyebrow's rose in surprise, and he turned his head to look at me with a small smile. "Well, that's a coincidence– Alice was talking about how Jasper should try to get in touch with you, now that you lived here in Seattle too. Or well, we were talking about it until we noticed that this little girl right here," he shook Maddie a little in his arms, making her giggle, "was missing." He smiled down at her, and then looked back up at me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I couldn't believe it when Jasper came jogging up to us before." I looked over at Jasper. "I'm sorry I haven't contacted you before – I really should have, seeing as we're both living here now."

He waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Don't worry about it; I should have done it too."

"Oh! Oh!" Alice exclaimed suddenly, jumping up and down once or twice. "Bella, you should come over for dinner at Edward's house tonight!"

Edward chuckled. "Thank you for taking the liberty to invite people to my home without asking, Alice," he said, the amused glint in his eyes making it clear that he was teasing her.

"Oh, shut up Edward," she answered quickly, her tone light and happy. "Bella, please come – you and Jasper could catch up, talk about old times and all that, and we could finally get to know each other. I've wanted to meet you ever since Jasper told us the story about how you made him shoot milk out his nose!"

I laughed at the memory, glancing over at Jasper as he put his hands over his face in mock embarrassment, shacking his head slowly from side to side.

Alice looked so happy and excited that I couldn't help but feel at least a little inclined to accept her invitation. However, they were having dinner at Edward's house, and he hadn't been the one to invite me. Maybe he didn't want me to come, but couldn't say anything now because Alice had already asked me. I hesitantly looked at Edward for a second before meeting Alice's gaze again.

"Well, it would be great to catch up a little, but I-… I mean, I don't want to intrude or anything, so mayb-" I started hesitantly, but Edward cut me off.

"No, no, of course you should come, Bella! If not for you, who knows what cou-" He abruptly stopped speaking, quickly drawing a large breath as he look down at his daughter with solemn eyes. He squeezed her tighter against his chest before clearing his throat and looking back up at me. "It's the least I can do."

His eyes were nothing but sincere, and before I knew what I was doing, my head was bobbing up and down in agreement.

"Yeah, ok. Thanks." I plastered on a smile as an afterthought, trying to seem at least somewhat normal. Edward smiled happily and nodded once at me.

"Edward, we should probably take Maddie home – she's half asleep," Alice said softly. All eyes turned to the little girl currently resting against her father's chest.

A chest that I would just love to see without the hindrance of the black shirt he was wearing, so that I could let my hands roam over his naked skin, maybe softly kiss and nibble it, drag my tongue all ove-

_Seriously, don't even go there right now, you whore_.

With a bubble of energy and excitement, Alice quickly gave me the details of the time and place for dinner later that evening. I saw Maddie looking at us the whole time, seeming to concentrate on what was being said.

She raised her head slowly and turned to her father as Alice continued to talk to me. With the loud whisper children often use when they think they're being subtle, she spoke to him. "Is Bella gonna eat with us, daddy?"

Edward's eyes met mine for a second as he chuckled, before he cut them to Maddie. He used the same kind of loud whisper that she had done. "Yes, she is. She's an old friend of uncle Jasper's, and we're thanking her for finding you."

Maddie nodded seriously, as if she agreed completely with what Edward said and thought it was a good idea. "Good. I like her, daddy – she smells _really_ pretty." Her eyes widened to further emphasise her statement.

Edward's lips twitched as he fought not to look up at me. I bit my lip painfully as I suppressed my laughter. _Thank you, Maddie_.

Suddenly, Maddie frowned, as if thinking hard about something. "What about Jake?"

In turn, Edward frowned out of confusion. I was struck by how similar they looked as they wore the same expression. "Who's Jake?" Edward asked, speaking a little louder than the whisper.

Maddie rolled her eyes in exasperation, as if his question was the dumbest thing she had ever heard. "_Daddy_!" she exclaimed, but she might as well have said '_duh_!', with the voice she was using – they clearly meant the same thing to her at the moment. Edward's eyebrows rose at her tone. "He's _right there_!" She pointed behind her, down at the ground where Jake was currently lazing.

Understanding dawned in Edward's eyes, and an unreadable expression flitted quickly across his face. He turned to look at me.

"Yours, I guess?" he asked me, inclining his head to my dog.

I nodded, holding up the leash I still had in my hand.

"He needs food too, daddy," Maddie said seriously, as if implying that Edward didn't know that living creatures needed to eat.

Edward looked at her, slightly exasperated – his expression clearly stated that he knew exactly what she was getting at. "I'm sure Bella has food for him, Maddie."

"Maybe he wants dinner?" she said, pouting a little.

Edward sighed. "Maddie…"

Maddie sighed. "Daddy…"

They then proceeded to have some sort of silent conversation, and a few seconds later, Edward dropped his head in defeat. He turned to me once again.

"Bella, it seems as if my daughter would like to invite your dog to dinner tonight. Do you mind…?"

I laughed softly as I shook my head. "No, that's fine. I prefer not having to leave him with my neighbour actually – she spoils him way too much."

Maddie clapped her hands excitedly as she twisted in Edward's arms, trying to look at Jake. "Jake!" she said elatedly, making him lift his head as he looked at her. His tail started slapping against the ground, slowly at first, but faster and faster as Maddie started laughing and giggling. He stood up and let out a playful bark as he bounded over to Edward and Maddie.

"Daddy, down!" Maddie giggled, kicking her legs a little to make Edward release her. He put her down on the ground and she instantly started petting Jake on the head. His tail was wagging at an insane speed as he licked her face, obviously in heaven because of the attention he was getting from the little girl.

"Ok, Jake, that's enough," I said calmly, taking a step towards him and kneeling down on the ground. I put my arm around him to restrain some of his enthusiasm as I looked up at Maddie's overjoyed expression.

"He likes you, doesn't he Maddie?" I asked her; I couldn't stop the huge smile on my face – this girl was just too adorable for words.

"Uhuh," she beamed, nodding her head vigorously, making me laugh.

Edward squatted down behind her and put his arm around the little girl. "Say goodbye now Maddie – you'll see Bella and Jake later tonight." He smiled at me over her shoulder, and I was certain I looked like an idiot when I smiled back at him breathlessly.

Maddie wiggled out of Edward's grasp and threw herself at me. Surprised, I slowly put my arms around her as she hugged me. She pulled back and grinned. "Bye, Bella."

"Bye, Maddie," I answered, smiling back at the little girl.

With quick goodbyes to the others, we went our separate ways for the afternoon. As soon as Jake and I got back home, I practically collapsed against the door.

I was going to Mr. Sexiest-fucking-man-I-have-ever-seen's house for dinner tonight.

And I had no clue what to wear.

~»«~

Two hours later, I had done my hair, fixed my make-up and dressed in black skinny-jeans, a burgundy tank top and a soft, black shrug.

My make-up was light and my hair was loose around my shoulders and just a little bit shinier than it was this afternoon. I had aimed for something nice, but casual – I didn't want to overdue it.

Half an hour later I parked my car outside Edward's beautiful apartment building, and with a deep breath opened the door and got out. I stepped around to the other side to let Jake out and together we walked into the building. Ever since Alice let me know his address, I had my suspicions that Edward might be quite well off. As I crossed the luxurious lobby, a lazy Jake walking after me, I was sure of it.

I fidgeted nervously with my handbag as I stood outside his door, waiting for someone to answer my knock. Suddenly I could hear something that sounded suspiciously like "Jake! Jake! Jake's here!"

The door swung open, leaving me in no doubt that that was in fact what Maddie had been chanting only seconds before, but I barely noticed. Edward was standing in front of me, wearing dark jeans and a brown shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows, revealing the swell of muscles in his arms.

But the muscles weren't what had me staring.

There was ink peeking out from underneath the fabric on his right arm.

He had a fucking tattoo.

I immediately chastised myself for not bringing an extra pair of panties in my huge handbag, as they sure as hell would have come in handy now. How the hell could Mr. Sex himself get even more fucking sexy?!

Obviously by having a tattoo.

The top buttons on his shirt were undone and the sight gave me an insatiable urge to just lean in and lick the skin there. He wore a crooked smile on his lips that made his unbelievably handsome face even more fucking gorgeous.

How the hell did such a good lucking guy even exist? It felt like he had broken some fucking law of nature or something.

"Bella!" My name never sounded better than when it was rolling off his lips. "I'm so glad you're here – Maddie has been completely uncontrollable with excitement over getting to see Jake again."

I laughed as the girl in question came flying out of nowhere, wrapping herself around Edward's legs. "Daddy, let them in!" she said loudly, tugging a bit on his jeans for emphasis. Edward bent down and lifted her out of the way with a huge smile before straightening up and looking back at me.

"Well, you heard her…" Edward said to me in an amused tone as he stepped aside to let me come in. In a move he probably didn't think I'd see, he surreptitiously tugged his jeans back up a little. I hid my smile as I brushed past him into the apartment. Jake followed behind, tail happily wagging.

Maddie immediately rushed to his side and started petting him, just as Alice came walking up to us, followed closely by Jasper, who, god bless him, was holding two beers, offering me one as he greeted me.

"Oh, Bella, you look nice!" Alice gushed as she hugged me. "That colour fits you perfectly."

I felt a tiny spot of warmth forming on my cheeks. "Uhm, thank you. You look really nice too," I offered as Jake and Maddie ran into the living room, laughing and barking respectively.

"Ok, well, dinner's almost ready, so just make yourself at home," Edward said to me as he walked through the living room. I admired his ass as he walked away, rounding a corner to what I assumed was the kitchen. Alice dragged me with her over to the huge, comfy couch and sat down.

Edward's apartment was breathtaking – the south wall had floor to ceiling windows, with a huge balcony on the west side. The view of the city was absolutely amazing. The décor practically screamed subtle luxury, and I started wondering what exactly Edward did for a living, since he was able to live here.

"So, Bella," Alice said, bringing my attention back to her, "tell me what happened when you found Jasper sneaking around in the girls' locker room in high school."

~»«~

Dinner was nothing short of amazing – Edward could cook one hell of a meal. My stomach was pleasantly full as Jasper, always the slowest to eat, finished his last bite.

"Man, Edward, that was amazing," he groaned as he rubbed his stomach, leaning back in his chair.

Edward chuckled and ducked his head, seeming a bit embarrassed.

"Daddy, that was really good, can I please be excused?" Maddie rambled hopefully. She hadn't been too happy when she had to stop playing with Jake because of dinner, and she had impatiently awaited the end of the meal.

Edward looked at her calculatingly for a few seconds before his eyes shifted down to her plate.

"Eat five more peas and then you can leave the table," he said, using his fork to separate the small pile of peas.

Maddie scrunched up her nose and looked disappointed that she had to earn her right to leave. With a heavy sigh she picked up her fork, and used her finger to shovel the peas on it. She chewed quickly, washing them down with her last sip of apple juice.

"Gone!" she sang happily as she made to get off the chair. With one foot on the floor, she suddenly paused and looked back up at Edward hesitantly.

He smiled warmly at her. "You can go, honey," at which she shot out of the chair and ran over to where Jake was lying on the floor.

"That kid is something else," I said, mostly to myself as I looked at her patting Jake's head happily before rounding the corner to the living room. There was just something special about her that I couldn't describe, but whatever it was, it made me smile.

From the corner of my eye I saw Edward turn to look at me. I glanced back at him to see him smile.

"I think so too," he said and I chuckled softly in answer.

"Daddy?" Maddie called from the living room. "Can I watch The Little Mermaid?"

"Sure, honey," he called back. "It's her favourite movie of all time," he said to me, shaking his head but still smiling. "I've been forced to watch the damn thing more times than I can count."

I laughed and nodded. "Just be glad it isn't Hannah Montana," I said, only half joking.

Edward paled a little. "You're right, that would be much worse." He swallowed. "Thank god for mermaids."

"Daddy, I need help!" Maddie called out again.

Alice stuck out her hand to stop Edward from getting up. "I'll go," she said with a smile, getting up from the table. Jasper stood and followed her, leaving me alone with Edward.

I looked at him and smiled a little, trying not to stare too much at his beautiful face. "Thank you for dinner, Edward – it really was amazing."

He gave me a crooked grin that made me moan on the inside. "You're welcome. It was nice to have someone new to cook for," he said, his voice a little lower than it had been before.

As I felt my breathing picking up just from being in such close proximity to him, all alone, I decided I needed to distract myself before I did something really embarrassing. I cleared my throat a little and stood up.

"Here, I'll help you with these," I said, starting to gather up the plates.

Edward stood up too. "No, Bella, you don't have to do that – you're a guest."

I shook my head with a smile. "Really, it's no problem, Edward. It's the least I can do."

With that I took off for the kitchen with our plates and cutlery, ignoring Edward's pleas. I heard a deep sigh behind me as I put the dishes in the sink, and soon Edward was beside me with the leftover food. I turned on the tap to rinse off the plates, but I froze as I felt Edward's hand on my back. The warmth spreading through the fabric of my top felt amazing, and my skin tingled pleasurably.

"You can just put the plates there, I'll deal with it in the morning," Edward said casually, dropping his hand. I nodded instead of speaking, not trusting my voice not to wobble. I turned to him, waiting for him to put the food away in the fridge.

"Would you like a cup of coffee or something?" he asked me as he closed the fridge door.

"Uhm, tea would be nice," I said, shrugging my shoulders. Edward nodded and filled the kettle with water, setting it to boil.

"Alice, Jazz?" he called over his shoulder. "Do you want coffee or something?"

"Yes, please," we heard in unison from the living room.

As Edward busied himself taking out mugs, I looked around the kitchen. I envied him enormously for it. If I could design the kitchen of my dreams, it would look like this; all stainless steel and marble countertops, dark cheery-wood cabinets and the latest appliances.

The silence between us wasn't awkward or anything, but I still felt like I should say something.

"I love your home," I offered gently. He looked up from measuring out the coffee and smiled.

"We moved in here after-…" He abruptly stopped, and lowered his eyes back to the countertop. He cleared his throat, and with a small shake of his head he continued. "After Emily left us."

The silence rang louder than before. "Emily… Maddie's mom?" I asked quietly, hoping I wouldn't upset him.

He nodded, pouring the water from the kettle. He quickly glanced up at me as he poured water into a mug for my tea and smiled slightly. "It's ok – she left a long time ago. It's harder on Maddie than it is on me."

I nodded, picking at my fingernails. "It was like that for me too."

Edward placed my mug in front of me gently, and when I looked up he had a mild questioning look on his face. I smiled quickly. "My mom left us when I was three," I explained.

Edward frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

Before I could respond, Alice came wandering back into the kitchen. "How's the coffee coming along?"

Five minutes later we were sitting out on the balcony, enjoying the view. The conversation was light and carefree and before I knew it, over an hour had passed and the ending music from The Little Mermaid came floating through the air. Edward made to stand up, presumably to put Maddie to bed, but Alice beat him too it again.

"It's alright, I'll do it," she said as she walked through the glass sliding door. A few moments later she returned with a very sleepy Maddie. She went up to Edward as she yawned.

"G'night, daddy," she mumbled sleepily, raising her arms. Edward scooted forward in his seat so that he could hug her.

"Good night, sweetheart," he said, kissing her forehead.

Next, Maddie made her way over to me. "Good night, Bella. Can Jake play with me again soon?" she asked as I hugged her.

I glanced at Edward over her shoulder, and he gave a small shrug. "Of course, sweetie," I said to her. "Sweet dreams."

Maddie turned to follow Alice out the door, but stopped in front of Jasper. "Uncle Jazz, can you read my bed-time story with auntie Alice? You make better voices," she said matter-of-factly. Jasper chuckled and nodded.

"Sure thing, darling," he said as he stood up. He picked her up and carried her back into the apartment with Alice walking behind them.

I smiled after them, loving that I was connecting with my old buddy again, and his wife.

"Thank you, Bella," Edward suddenly said. I turned my head to look at him, my eyebrows raised in question.

"For what?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "For today. For finding Maddie, and not just leaving her for someone else to deal with."

I snorted. "Of course I wouldn't do that."

He smiled. "I know." He paused as he looked at me closely. "She really likes you, Bella. I've never seen her so comfortable with anyone outside of our family."

I blinked, surprised. "Oh?"

He nodded. "She's never really warmed up to anyone that way before. I don't know if it's because of your dog or because you smell really pretty…" He grinned at me as I laughed softly, remembering Maddie's words from earlier.

"I used to be like that too when I was younger. I had no interest in getting to know new people," I said. Edward looked at me.

"Because of your mom?"

I shrugged. "That probably had something to do with it."

"Do you know why she left?" he asked me. "If you don't mind me asking."

"No, not at all," I assured him. "Renee left because… she didn't like how her life had played out. She was young when she had me, and even younger at heart. She wasn't ready to be a mother, even though she tried. Eventually, she just gave up and left. She taped a note on the fridge for dad, apologising. We haven't heard from her since."

I ran my fingers through my hair as I recounted it. Edward's green eyes studied me.

"That must have been hard for you, growing up."

I shrugged. "Sometimes. I missed her, but Charlie was a great dad, and Sue, his new wife, was a better mother than I ever could have asked for. When I was younger I resented Renee for just leaving me, but over the years it's gotten easier. Now I just think it's her loss."

Edward smiled and nodded. "That's a good way to look at it." He paused, and his smile slowly left his face. "I hope Maddie can do the same."

I repeated his words from earlier. "Do you know why she left? If you don't mind me asking."

He chuckled once as he traced the lines in the wood of his armrest. "No, I don't mind. Emily left because she wasn't happy with her life, or with me."

He looked up at me as he continued. "We met in high school and dated throughout, went off to college together, shared an apartment." He sighed heavily. "I asked her to marry me when we were 23, because I thought it was the right thing to do. Not because I loved her more than anything in the world, or because she felt that way about me. We just kinda… settled. And a year later, Maddie was born."

He smiled gently. "When Emily first told me she was pregnant, I was scared shitless. It wasn't planned or anything, and I didn't know if we were ready. Emily shared some of my same fears, but as time went on and I became accustomed to the idea of being a dad, I found myself really excited. But Emily…" He shook his head slowly. "She became angry. I had to walk on eggshells around her, as any little thing I did could set her off. We argued almost every day. On more than one occasion I thought about leaving her, but I just couldn't bring myself to walk out on my child like that."

I nodded silently, absorbed in his story.

"After Maddie was born, Emily tried to be a good mother to her, but she… she just _couldn't_. When Maddie was six months old, I took her to visit my parents over a weekend. Emily claimed she had to work. When we came back, she was gone. She left two notes, one for me and one for Maddie, explaining why she did it."

He sighed. "Personally, I wasn't too upset that she left me. I didn't really love her anymore, and we weren't happy together. I just hated that she left Maddie without a mother. I'm always worried that I… that I'm not enough."

I reached over and placed my hand on his, and even though my skin tingled and my whole body reacted to touching him, I pushed those feelings aside. "Edward, you have managed to raise an amazing little girl, all on your own. Anyone can see just how much you love her. I think it's amazing that you make sure you two spend some time together during the weekends, that you try to do something fun for her. Believe me, I know – that kind of father-daughter time will give her some of her best memories of being a kid."

I squeezed his hand gently, and he nodded in thanks. I didn't want to let go of him just yet, but I was quickly approaching the point where 'comforting' turns into 'weird' so I took my hand back and placed it in my lap. "I'm not saying that she won't miss having a mother, but I do think you more than make up for her absence."

Edward looked at me for a long moment before speaking quietly. "I hope you're right."

After another moment of silence, Edward started asking me about my collage days – where did I go, what did I study, what was my roommate like… He told me stories in return, but I noticed that none of them included Emily. I recognised and respected his need to change the subject, to not think about her anymore, and I did my best to take his mind of it.

Alice and Jasper came back out a while later, and I glanced at my watch.

"I should probably head home," I said, a bit hesitantly. I didn't really want to leave – I was having a great time with Edward, and I didn't want to give that up. I probably wouldn't have a reason to meet him like this again. I knew I had promised Maddie she could play with Jake again soon, but what was I supposed to do? Set up a play-date?

"Ok, I'll show you out," Edward said, getting up from his seat as I rose.

It took a bit of encouragement to get Jake to wake up and follow me to the door, but once there I lingered in the doorway with Edward. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he didn't really want me to leave either.

"So… Thank you again, Bella, for everything."

"Yeah, no, thank you, for dinner and everything."

We both trailed off as we stood there, looking at each other. I desperately wanted him to say something along the lines of '_Bella, I find you devastatingly attractive – wanna go to the movies with me or something?_'. But he didn't. And I was too chicken-shit to ask him myself.

"Ok, well, I'm gonna go then… bye, Edward. Have a nice night." I turned and opened the door, stepping out into the hallway.

"Bye, Bella. Drive safe," he said. I looked at him one last time and smiled, hiding the twinge of disappointment I felt. He stood in the doorway, watching me as I walked over to the elevators further down the hall.

Just as I pressed the button, I heard the soft click of a door shutting. I sighed sadly, but jumped when Edward suddenly called out my name.

"Bella, wait," he said, jogging up to me. I turned to face him. "Look, I- uhm….," he stammered in front of me, before running an aggravated hand through his hair. "_Fuck,_ why is this so hard?" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Ok, look – I haven't been on a single date since Emily, so I might be a bit rusty with this, but… I really feel like I want to get to know you better, Bella. So uhm, wou-would you like to go to dinner with me sometime?"

My heart stopped for a second at his words. When it resumed beating, I was sure it would break a rib.

He opened his eyes to look at me just as a giant smile spread on my face.

"I'd love to," I told him happily, watching a relieved grin grow on his face. We probably looked like two idiots, standing in front of the elevators, smiling over what seemed like nothing.

The elevator doors opened behind me and I quickly stepped in but stopped the doors from closing. "Give me your phone," I told Edward.

A moment later I saved my number and gave the phone back to him. "Give me a call," I said, still smiling like an idiot. Edward looked up at me and smiled like an idiot too.

"I will. Bye, Bella."

I stepped back even more and let the doors close. "Bye, Edward," I said just before they met in the middle, enjoying my last look of his beautiful face.

~»«~

I had rushed Jake over to my neighbour's place a few minutes before Edward said he would pick me up for our date. I took to pacing in my hallway, clutching my purse for dear life. I _really_ wanted this date to work out. Not just because my dry spell had been going on for over a year – _more than 12 fucking months_ – but because Edward was just… perfect.

I jumped when there was a knock on my door. I took a deep, trembling breath and dragged my hands down my body, straightening out my blue dress one last time.

Edward was glorious, standing outside my door. He was smiling shyly at me, but as soon as his eyes left my face, raking down my body, his expression went comically blank, his chin dropping just a little.

I felt a furious blush creeping up my cheeks as he so obviously checked me out. A few seconds of silence passed before Edward suddenly shook his head a little, blinking rapidly.

"Uh, sorry…!" he said, wincing a little as he realised he had been staring at me. "Uhm, hi. Bella, you look… uhm – wow."

I looked down as I smiled so hugely I though my face might burst. "Thank you. You don't look too shabby yourself," I said, looking up at him. And he really didn't. His hair was still just as wild, his face was still just as attractive, and his body was still just so incredibly… _yummy_.

He held his arm out to me. "I made reservations at my favourite restaurant… Shall we?"

I smiled and took his arm.

Edward was a true gentleman all evening; he opened doors for me, helped me in and out of the car, pulled out my chair – the works. I was feeling extremely well taken care of by the time our food arrived.

Our conversation flowed easily as we talked about our careers, our hobbies and discussed our favourite movies and music. I found myself loving Edward's rather humble view on the accomplishments he had made in his life, his evident passion as he discussed music and the pure joy that shone out of his eyes whenever Maddie was mentioned.

I was thoroughly enjoying his company, and I hoped he felt the same about me. It would be really bad if he regretted asking me out. As the evening wore on, I found myself more than just physically attracted to him – I could really see myself having something… _more_ than just friendship with Edward in the future.

After dinner we decided to take a walk – I had a feeling neither one of us wanted the evening to end just yet.

"So what's Maddie doing tonight?" I asked as we strolled down the pier, stopping about halfway to lean on the railing.

"She's at a sleep-over birthday party," he answered, turning his head to look at me. "Her third one this month. There are another two planned within the next four weeks." He shook his head. "I just made it easier on myself and bought five different kinds of Barbie's in one go."

I laughed. "Ah yes, the mandatory Barbie - I remember those." I paused and giggled as I remembered my own childhood memories. "Jasper was always secretly envious that he never got to go to one of those parties."

Edward laughed loudly. "I can imagine," he chuckled.

I looked at him, leaning with his forearms against the railing, gazing out at the water. With the sun setting slowly, casting its last rays over the water, it really was a beautiful evening.

"I had a really great time tonight, Edward," I said quietly. He looked at me with a smile and nodded.

"Me too." He suddenly laughed down his nose a little. "But fuck if I wasn't nervous as hell."

I laughed and nodded my head. "Me too."

He glanced quickly at me, smirking.

I bit my lip in hesitation. There was a question I had been dying to ask him ever since he first mentioned it, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity, but I didn't want to seem too pushy.

Edward studied me closely as I debated with myself, and he chuckled quietly. "I can practically see the wheels turning in your head, Bella." He looked at me knowingly. "What is it?"

I hesitated for a second longer, before sighing in defeat. "Is this honestly the first date you've been on since Emily?"

Edward's eyebrows rose in confusion for a second before he laughed loudly. "Oh shit, I really said that, didn't I?" He dragged a hand through his hair as he chuckled away, looking a little embarrassed. "Uhm, yeah, it is."

I shook my head in disbelief. "I- I mean… why?"

Edward shrugged, still looking amused. "It took a while before I even considered myself ready to do start dating again. But even after that it just… didn't happen anyway. At first it was because I was so busy, with my job and raising Maddie, that I didn't have time to really date. And then I realised that I couldn't just casually start dating – I couldn't keep bringing different women into Maddie's life like that. I would need to find someone I actually liked before I started dating her." He paused and looked down at his clasped hands.

My heart was sputtering hysterically in my chest as he spoke. _Was he saying what I think he was saying? Was I that someone? Oh, please say I'm that someone!_

"And I never did…" he trailed off quietly, before looking up at me, "… until now."

I couldn't breathe. I felt myself blushing under his gaze, and I couldn't stop a smile from spreading on my face. I ducked my head, trying to stop myself from trembling with happiness. _He actually likes me! _

I thought I heard a sigh of relief from Edward, and I looked up to see him smiling at me, which just made me even happier – my happiness at hearing that he liked me in turn made him happy and relieved. _Yay_!

The silence between us was comfortable, and I decided to take a little leap of faith and shift closer to him. Our shoulders touched gently, and Edward's smile grew wider.

As if being on a date with Edward wasn't amazing enough, learning that I was the only woman he'd met _in five years_ that he liked enough to want to ask out on a date just made it so much better. I couldn't really believe he thought of me like that.

But then another thought struck me that had the potential to but a slight damper on my mood.

"So, wait, wait…," I said. "I get the whole 'no-dating' thing, but what about… uhm, _other_… encounters?" I glanced sideways at him, hoping he'd understand what I was talking about.

The light may have been dim, but I could still see the blush in his cheeks. "Uhm, n-no… none of, eh, those…" He trailed off, purposefully not looking at me.

I stood up straight in shock. "Wait. So you mean to tell me that in five years you haven't been with _anyone_ in _any_ way?" I stared at him open-mouthed.

He glanced at me quickly, and after a second of hesitation, he nodded.

"Wha- are you serious? _Five years_?" I dragged a hand through my hair. "Jesus. And I thought 14 months was bad."

Edward's head snapped around to look at me, and I blushed when I realised I had just given away how long _my_ dry spell had been. Which, in comparison, was miniscule really. I couldn't even begin to imagine what five years without sex would be like. Edward stood up slowly and turned his back on the water, leaning against the railing. I suddenly felt a lot more respect for him.

"14 months, huh?" His gaze was all of a sudden a lot more intense than I was used to and I felt my body reacting to it. Involuntarily my heart beat harder, my lungs demanded more air and my skin tingled with a need to be touched. I could not only see his eyes raking over my body, I could feel the fire in his gaze, burning down my sides, over my hips, caressing my legs.

I nodded dumbly to answer his question, but found myself unable to speak. Apparently, when you put two sexually frustrated people together and make them both aware of said sexual frustration, you end up with a sexual tension so thick you can cut it with a knife. I knew he was thinking about sex. He knew I was thinking about sex. And, inevitably, I was thinking about sex… with Edward.

Just the thought of finally ending my dry spell with Edward was enough to send my blood thrumming through my veins, making certain neglected parts of me throb with want.

I tried to keep my eyes on his face, but they continuously strayed down his chest and stomach, coming to rest on the bulge in his pants. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't stop imaging myself reaching over to him and unbuckling his belt, popping the button, pulling down the zipper and just… _Oh good god_…

"Bella… you need to stop looking at me like that…" Edward groaned quietly. I looked up and met his eyes. I swallowed hard. There was so much lust shining out of the green depths that I felt my own just about double in intensity. In that moment, there was nothing I wanted more than Edward.

"Why?" I whispered, not able to make my voice any louder.

Slowly he pushed away from the railing and took a single step towards me. He was so close that I could feel the warmth of his body, rolling off him.

"Because the very small amount of self-control I feel around you is already slipping, and if you keep that up I don't know how the hell I'm gonna keep my hands off you," he told me, his voice dark and rough with the need he was struggling to suppress.

I firmly grasped the small amount of courage I had and ran with it. "And what if I don't want you to keep your hands off?" I asked, my voice heavy with suggestion and my growing need for him.

He closed his eyes just as a low groan rumbled in his chest. I gasped quietly at the sound and the way it made my whole body tremble.

"Bella…" he groaned.

I bit my lip and made a quick decision. I knew what I wanted.

I raised my hand and gently laid it right over his heart. I watched with fascination as his chest started rising and falling more rapidly. I shivered when I felt his warm hand suddenly being placed over my ribs, sliding slowly around to my back.

Edward's eyes opened as I stepped closer to him, pressing my whole body to his. He looked down at me with such longing that without even thinking I uttered the only though currently running through my mind.

"Kiss me," I whispered.

Still keeping his eyes firmly locked with mine, he raised his other hand and cupped my cheek. He caressed the skin with his thumb as he slowly leaned his head towards me. I raised up on my toes a little to meet him.

His lips touched mine gently, and a sigh of relief escaped me. I hadn't even realised just how much I wanted this until it was happening. Our lips started moving languidly together, and I thrilled at feeling his soft lips pressed to mine – they felt heavenly.

It really had been too long since I did this.

And with that thought, I pressed myself closer to him, raising my arms to wrap them around his neck. There was only one thing I wanted right now, and that was Edward.

His hand slid into my hair as he started kissing me with a little bit more force, and a breathy moan slid out as I parted my lips and used my tongue to caress his bottom lip. He immediately opened his mouth to me, and our tongues met in a gentle battle that gradually became more frenzied as the kiss deepened.

We were both breathing heavily when Edward took his lips from mine a few minutes later, resting his forehead against mine.

"Bella…" he panted. "I just want you to know… that I'm not doing this… just because I haven't had sex in five years."

"No, I know," I panted back, trying vainly to calm my racing heart.

"I really do like you… and I just need you to know… that I have every intention of taking you out again… regardless of what happens now," he told me, his voice still breathless and rough.

"Good, because I really like you too, and I'd hate for this to be a one-time thing," I answered before pressing my lips back to his. He groaned into my mouth and wrapped his arms firmly around me. I moaned as I felt his hard bulge against me, and I ground my hips into him, desperate for some friction.

A few minutes of frantic hip grindings and kissing later, we were both more than ready to change locations.

"Edward…?" I moaned as he placed searing kisses on my jaw and throat.

"Mm?" he hummed against my skin, making me gasp.

"Your place or mine?"

His lips stilled against me for a few seconds, before he slowly spoke. "Mine's closer."

And with that I grasped his hand firmly and dragged him back down the pier.

20 minutes later Edward screeched to a halt in front of his building and we both practically flew out of the car.

He grasped my hand as we walked through the doors and into the lobby, and he impatiently hit the button for the elevator five times. I grew impatient and turned to kiss him, flinging my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his. Seconds later the elevator dinged behind me, and Edward walked me backwards until I hit the wall.

He quickly let go of me to press the button for his floor, but turned back around within seconds, grasping me firmly to him. Our kissing was desperate and hungry, our moans and groans filling the tiny space as we rubbed our bodies together.

Edward's hand travelled down my side and over my hip, grabbing my leg firmly and hitching it up around his hip.

"Edward!" I moaned against his lips as he was able to press himself harder against my aching centre. He growled into my mouth and thrust his hips against me. I whimpered at the delicious contact.

I was just about ready to rip his clothes off when the doors dinged and opened. Edward let go of my leg and grasped my hand instead.

We half-walked, half-ran down the hall to his apartment. Edward nearly dropped his keys as he struggled to open his door. We didn't even bother to turn on the lights.

He lifted me up into his arms after locking the door behind him, and I squealed in surprise as I wrapped my legs around his waist. He kissed me passionately as he started walking through the apartment, his hands firmly cupping my ass.

Without breaking our kiss, he lowered me down onto the floor when we reached his bedroom and I immediately started working on the damn buttons on his shirt. He reached behind me and pulled down the zipper on my dress, sliding his hands under the fabric to caress my naked skin. I sucked on his tongue and bit down on his lip, completely desperate at this point. I needed him so badly it almost hurt.

I kicked off my shoes, only dimly recognising the relief of stepping out of my heels, just as I got the final button on Edward's shirt. We broke apart just long enough to wrench the clothes from our bodies. Both of us froze as we looked at each other – me staring at his muscular chest and amazing abs, drooling over the v-shape peaking up from his pants, while he shamelessly ogled my breasts in the lacy bra I was wearing before his gaze shifted down to the matching lace hipsters hugging my curves.

"Oh god Bella, you're beautiful…" he gasped reverently as he looked me over.

"Edward, please – I need you so much," I moaned, reaching out for him. Without a second of hesitation he stepped up to me, kissing me with so much passion I could barely breathe.

While I busied myself with his belt, Edward made quick work of unclasping my bra. He pulled it from my body without breaking our kiss, and I moaned loudly against him as he palmed me. My nipples were rock hard against his warm palms, and the contact felt amazing. Bolts of pure pleasure were shooting down through my stomach to my aching pussy as Edward started pinching my nipples.

I got his pants unzipped and I pushed them down his hips as I heard Edward kicking off his shoes. He broke away from our kiss to pull off his socks, but quickly straightened back up and crashed his lips to mine again. I moaned uncontrollably as I felt his hands fisting the flimsy lace around my hips and he almost ripped them in his hurry to push them down my legs.

With an impatience I was fucking thankful for, Edward's long fingers immediately cupped my dripping sex as soon as my panties fell to the floor.

I cried out against him as his fingers slid against my wet flesh, stroking me frantically. To feel fingers that for once weren't my own rubbing my clit was amazing. Loud moans made their way out of me as the delicious sensations danced across my skin, trembled in my muscles and burned in my bones.

"_Fuck_…" we both moaned as he pushed two fingers into me. I clung to his shoulders for dear life as my knees wobbled underneath me. I was practically cumming already.

"Edward, I need you," I cried out against his lips, making him groan. He pulled his fingers from me and with a move so fast I almost missed it, his boxers were lying in a pile on the floor and his hard, throbbing cock was pressed against my stomach without the barriers of clothes.

We walked backwards until the back of my knees hit the bed and I pulled Edward with me as I shuffled my way across it.

"We need… a condom," Edward groaned between kisses as I opened my legs wide for him.

I shook my head quickly. "I get the shot," I said, pulling him to me.

A deep groan ripped from Edward's chest as he pressed himself against me, his erection dangerously close to where we both needed him to be. "Jesus fuck… Oh god, Bella, I won't last long," he moaned as he started kissing my throat frantically.

"Me neither," I moaned back, arching tightly against him. I reached down between us and grasped his hard length, guiding him to me. He raised his head and looked me in the eyes as he lined himself up with my wet pussy.

"Bella," he whispered as he started pushing forward, the head of his cock slipping inside. We both moaned loudly as he pushed further, slowly, revelling in being filled and enveloped. "Bella, Bella… " He continued to whisper my name until I had taken as much of him as I could.

We froze our movements, panting as if we were running a marathon. His hard length within me was the most amazing thing I had ever experienced and the sensations were overwhelming me. It looked as if Edward was experiencing the same thing as we panted against each other's lips.

A tremble was slowly spreading through my body as the seconds passed, my orgasm building despite the lack of movement. I raised my head and pressed my lips hard against his, making the first thrust with my hips. He groaned deeply and he pulled back from me, pushing in with an exquisite force.

I moaned his name against his lips, raising my legs to wrap them around him as he slowly found his rhythm. His first few thrusts felt almost experimental, as if he was trying to remember how exactly to do this, but soon his glorious cock was sliding in and out of me in a way that could only be described as perfection.

"Oh, fuck Edward, yes… _ah, ah_, fuck me, you feel so good!" I slammed my hips against him, making him groan loudly.

"_Ah_, Christ… so tight and… _uh, ah_… _fuck_, wet… Bella, oh god," he rambled against my lips, thrusting his tongue into my mouth as he picked up the pace with his hips.

I was dimly aware of his headboard banging against the wall as we moved – not much else besides Edward's body above mine and his cock within me was making its way into my consciousness.

"Fuck me harder, Edward… _oh, yes_! I'm so close… _ahh_!" I cried out to him, feeling my orgasm approaching fast. I felt it building and building, my blood thrumming and racing all over my body, my breathes coming in quick harsh gasps. It felt so powerful I was almost afraid to let go, but Edward's thrusts were relentless.

Our hips were now slamming together as we raced towards the edge. My nails were digging into his back and he bit down hard on my shoulder before groaning loudly.

"Fuck yes, Bella… You feel so good, so tight around my cock," he panted against my throat, placing open-mouthed kisses there.

"Edward, yes! Yes, yes, oh god, yes!" I cried out.

"Oh, _uh, fuuuck_! Come, Bella, please!" he begged me, thrusting wildly into me as he fisted the bed sheet underneath us.

"_Oh, oh, __uhnnng_!" I groaned wildly, gasping for air as my whole body tensed up, preparing to explode. "_Edward_!" I screamed as the first wave of my orgasm crashed down on me, and I bucked against him violently, as wave after wave rolled through me, constricting my lungs and making it impossible for me to breathe.

Even through my orgasm, I could feel Edward's cock growing larger and harder within me, and seconds later he cried out, the sound ripping violently from his chest. His thrusts were hard and uncontrolled as he released into me, helping me ride out the final waves still crashing through my body.

Edward collapsed heavily on top of me, both of us struggling for breath. I couldn't stop the moans from slipping over my lips as we lay there, neither one of having enough energy to move.

"That was… amazing… Bella," Edward panted hard against my throat. "Jesus Christ… it felt like my heart… was being ripped out… from my chest… _fuck_," he groaned.

"I know…" I moaned, still clenching rhythmically around him.

After a minute we had both regained our breathing skills, and he placed lazy kisses across my shoulder and up my neck until his lips met mine. We kissed slowly and gently, taking our time to enjoy it.

It could have been seconds, minutes or hours later – I wasn't really paying attention to the time – when I froze mid-kiss. I pulled back and stared at Edward incredulously.

At first he looked a little confused, but it was quickly replaced by a boastful smirk as he realised what I was reacting to. He chuckled slowly, and with a cocked eyebrow, he lazily rocked his hips against me. I gasped as his yet again hard cock moved in me, sending shots of pleasure racing all over my body.

"What?" he asked as he fell into a slow and languid rhythm, moving against me.

"H-how… how is that even possible?" I asked him, my hips rising of their own accord to meet his. Another gasp fell from my lips as he filled me again.

He grinned his crocked smile and shook his head a little. "Five years, Bella… five years," was all he said. He bent his head and started kissing my neck.

"Oh, ok," I answered breathlessly as I wrapped my arms more firmly around him, moving with him. Our moans and gasps echoed together around the dark room as we lost ourselves in each other, once again. All I could hope was that it wouldn't be the last time either, and as Edward moaned my name as he climaxed, I swore to myself to make sure of it.

* * *

**Alright, there you go! Hope you liked it, and are interested in continuing to read it.**

**And since a few people have asked about this, I will say that you will _of course_ get to know more about Edward's tattoo as the story progresses. I did leave it out of this chapter on purpose, but I wouldn't be so mean as to never mention it again. Fear not - all will be revealed in time. **

**Thanks for taking the time to read, and I hope you'll be here whenever the next chapter updates.  
**

**/Victoria**


	2. The morning after

**And... we're back! It's been a while, I know, but DILFward is finally here. I hope those of you who enjoyed the first chapter will continue to follow this story. **

**Just a few things: As you can see, this chapter is about half the length of the first - I am going to try to keep them all around the 6-8k word mark. Writing chapters over 14k words all the time is very taxing, and while I know that long chapters are nice to read, just think of it this way: shorter chapters mean faster updates. **

**Much love to my awesome unofficial beta, bouncy 72 - what would I do without you, bb? If the summary of this story drew you in, that was basically all her. I suck at summaries. **

**Anyway, I'll shut up now and let you all get on with it.  
**

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 2: The morning after**

EPOV

Every weekday, I was used to waking up promptly at six a.m, my dreams ripped away from me courtesy of the blaring noise of my alarm. I would roll out of bed, stumble into my bathroom, undress in a daze and take a shower.

Usually this shower would enable me to deal with my raging case of morning wood, after which I would feel marginally more relaxed and I could actually function like a normal person.

In between waking Maddie up three or four times before she actually crawled out of bed, I would prepare breakfast and basically inhale a cup of coffee. After Maddie was sufficiently sticky from whatever she chose to eat that morning, I would help her clean up, remind her to brush her teeth and then supervise as she got dressed. She was eager to learn how to button her own shirts, pull on her own socks and close her own zippers, and I for one was kind of happy that those things were no longer my responsibility.

Especially not when she would grace me with her beautiful smile as she proudly showed me what she could do.

I would drop her off at kindergarten, sometimes having to deal with a few tears and clinging hands, before heading off to work.

Weekends were nicer. I would leave the waking-up part to Maddie, sleeping until she barged into my room and decided to jump on my chest to make me get up. As I vainly tried to convince her that 'daddy's sleeping' she would pester me with questions about what we were going to do today, not leaving me alone until I was out of the bed and had placed her in front of the TV to keep her occupied while I took a shower.

This morning, however, was different.

I woke up with a very warm, very soft body draped over my chest.

Bella's amazingly silky hair covered my shoulder and arm and each time I inhaled, the sweet scent from the brown strands would fill my lungs. Her tiny, slow exhales fawned out over my skin, and I could feel the rise and fall of her breathing with my hand on her back.

I have no idea what exactly woke me up, but I just opened my eyes – feeling more relaxed and refreshed than I had in over five years – and looked down at the woman sleeping in my arms.

Our date last night had been better than I could've imagined, and I'm not just saying that because I had my dick in her later in the evening. Several times, in fact.

That was definitely a bonus, though.

No, our date had been better than I could have imagined because Bella was just... I don't even have words. It was so easy to just talk to her; we connected so effortlessly. I had been acting like a nervous, bumbling freak the entire week as the first date I had been on since I started going out with Emily loomed closer and closer, but of course my fears had been completely unfounded.

I had been deathly afraid of fucking it all up, of saying or doing something wrong. Would I inadvertently offend her, disgust her? Make such a complete fool of myself that she never wanted to see me again?

My nerves and inner freak-outs were on par with a 16 year old girl going to the prom; I acted so weird that even Maddie picked up on it, asking me if I was sick or something. Of course, despite the fact that I said 'no', I was still treated to a delightful story about how Tommy from kindergarten acted weird one morning before throwing up all over the place.

You can't really blame me for freaking out, though – the last first-date I went on was in high-school and I ended up marrying the girl for fuck's sake. I was entitled to a little freak out and spontaneous break-outs of nervous sweat.

I looked down at Bella, feeling a small smile tugging at my lips as I took in her face. Her hand lay against my chest, curled in sleep. Was it weird that I noticed how pretty her nails were?

I studied the delicate curve of her cheek, remembering how it had blushed the most beautiful shade of pink several times last night. I remembered how her eyes had lit up with enthusiasm and delight as we discussed our favourite music, how her lips had created the softest, warmest smile I had ever seen as I talked about Maddie, and how her teeth had sunk into her bottom lip every now and then, making me think some very dirty thoughts.

Without even trying, I started remembering how those lips had felt against my own; how her hands had slid over my skin, touching me in ways no one had touched me in so fucking long; how her breath caught in her throat as I flicked my tongue against her pebbled nipple; how her hips moved beneath me, continuously thrusting faster and harder against me; how she threw her head back and moaned, _oh god, her moans_... Her moans, groans, sighs and breathless exclamations had been so fucking beautiful.

When all the moans and groans you've heard in five years have been emitted by faking porn stars, the real deal, emitted by a gorgeous woman currently arching into you, is better than anything I could even describe.

I was brought back to the present as the part below my belly button decided to wake up and pay a fuckload of attention to the tantalising images of Bella swimming through my mind. I gave an exasperated sigh, glaring down at the tent now covering my groin. I wasn't so sure about how people normally proceeded after this kind of thing, but some part of me didn't want Bella to wake up and immediately come face to face with my hard, throbbing dick.

It wasn't really the kind message I wanted to get across to her.

As I occupied my brain with thoughts of reports, meetings, mathematical equations and meatloaf, I absentmindedly drew random patterns on the skin of Bella's back. She had the silkiest skin.

Suddenly her fingers on my chest twitched and I felt her breathing pattern change – a quick inhale preceded a slow gust of air leaving her parted lips. I paused my random-pattern-drawing activities as I felt her move slightly next to me; her muscles stretched in that slow, languorous way you move when you wake up naturally, and her cheek rubbed against my chest just a little.

Then she tensed and she stopped breathing for a second as she probably realised that she wasn't in her own bed. I started up my pattern-drawing on her skin again, hearing her gasp slightly before her body relaxed back into mine.

She shifted a little, turning her head up to face me. Her eyes were still half closed and she wore an adorable sleepy smile.

"Hey," she croaked, blinking slowly as she started fully waking up.

"Hey," I whispered back, smiling down at her.

She covered her mouth as she yawned before moving a little further up my body, so that her head settled on my shoulder instead.

"What time is it?" she asked in a soft, hoarse voice as her eyes slid closed again.

I turned to my bedside table, taking in the fluorescent red numbers. "9.15," I answer, sighing. We were going to have to leave my very warm, very cosy bed – that had never felt this warm or this cosy before – very soon. I needed to pick Maddie up from the sleepover birthday party and then go over to my parents house for Sunday lunch.

_Dammit_.

Bella nodded absentmindedly against me, on the verge of falling asleep again.

"Bella?" I asked softly.

"Mmh?"

"I really wish we didn't, but we need to get up..." I said regretfully.

Bella frowned and emitted a displeasured and feminine grunt, making me chuckle under my breath.

"Tell you what – I'll go take a shower and you can sleep for a little bit longer. How does that sound?"

"Mmhm..."

I chuckled again, extracting myself from her arms and making my way other to my bathroom. I could hear her slow and rhythmic breathing fall back into sleep before I even closed the door.

I offered Bella the use of my shower once I was done, which she accepted with a grateful smile. I went about fixing us some breakfast, pondering what she might like to eat in the morning. Since Maddie and I were both huge cereal enthusiasts, that was basically all we had at home. I shrugged and clumsily gathered all the boxes in my arms, dumping them on the table before I went about the highly important task of fixing some coffee.

When Bella joined me a while later, wearing the boxers and shirt I laid out for her to borrow – partly in an effort to be nice and gentlemanly, but also for the more selfish reason of it being totally fucking hot – I was tilting my cup back as the last of the life-giving beverage slid down my throat.

Bella tucked some damp hair behind her ear and smiled shyly at me as she entered the kitchen. I silently held up my coffee cup, shaking it a bit with a quirked eyebrow. She bit her lip as her eyes flickered from mine to the counter behind me.

"Uhm..." she said hesitantly, "tea?"

"Oh, right – yeah, hang on a sec." I refilled the kettle and set it to boil, taking out a cup for her and fishing out a tea bag. I never drank the stuff myself, but my mother would always have it when she came over. I smiled as I entertained the thought of now having tea not only for my mother, but for Bella too.

That's when I noticed the slightly uncomfortable and awkward silence that had settled over the room. I turned around to see Bella's eyes quickly dart away from me in favour of studying the floor, her cheeks blushing that beautiful pink again.

I frowned, trying to understand the situation. Was it maybe not customary to have breakfast together the morning after? Because, well... how the hell would I know?

She swallowed, almost nervously, and she chanced a quick peek at me through her lashes. When she caught my gaze she promptly looked down at the floor again, curling and uncurling her toes.

I desperately tried to come up with reasons for her behaviour; maybe she wanted to go home? Was it making her uncomfortable to be here still? What if she hadn't meant it last night when she said she didn't want this to be a one-time thing? What if she regretted last night?

These thoughts filled me with a mild sense of panic, and feeling very much like a woman, I tried to reign in my emotions. I didn't want Bella to regret last night – I certainly didn't. So, yeah, maybe we had moved a bit fast, and maybe we barely knew each other, but I'd thought we'd connected really well and had a good time and then she'd started talking about sex, and how she hadn't been with anyone in 14 months, and she'd looked at me like she just wanted to attack me, and I couldn't stop thinking about kissing her and touching her and making her feel good, and she'd told me to kiss her, and then I couldn't fucking stop, and then she'd touched me and... _fuck_.

No, I certainly didn't regret last night, and I could admit to myself that if Bella _did_, I would be more than a little crushed.

Then it occurred to me that if _I_ were having these kinds of thoughts, what was stopping _Bella_ from having the same ones? Maybe she was also freaking out, wondering what I might be thinking.

I looked at her as she stood in _my_ kitchen, wearing _my_ clothes after having used _my_ shower and slept in _my_ bed, toeing _my_ floor. I then realised that I should probably say something to reassure her, to let her know that while it certainly felt a little different this morning, it felt different in a _good_ way. At least for me. I had to tell her that nothing had really changed in regards to how I saw her or felt about her because of last night. If anything, it had only made me want her more.

I swallowed, trying to think of the words that I might use, how I should phrase myself and my thoughts.

It was incredibly difficult.

Just then, Bella looked up at me again, her teeth sinking in to that delicious, plump bottom lip of hers as the brown depths of her eyes zoned in on me.

Before I could even contemplate what the fuck I was doing, I pushed away from the counter on which I had been leaning, crossing the kitchen in three large strides.

Bella's eyes widened in surprise as stepped up to her, cupping her face in my hands fluidly. Almost before I'd even come to a full stop, I bent down and kissed her.

A second later I realised that maybe it wasn't necessary to be so dramatic about the whole thing – I could have just slowly walked up to her, slowly cupped her face and slowly kissed her with a reassuring smile. Instead I chose to stride up to her, grab her face and crash my lips to hers like some overzealous douche. I felt like a complete moron.

With that thought in mind, I gradually softened my lips against her until I was barely brushing them. I leaned back, opening my eyes that I hadn't realised I'd closed, and looked at her.

Her eyes were also closed, her mouth hung open just a little as her pink, now slightly puffy lips seemed unsure of whether or not to smile, and her cheeks were as blushed as ever. I hoped it was because of another reason this time, and not because I'd made her even more uncomfortable.

Her eyes opened slowly, and as they found mine, her lips made the decision to smile.

I smiled back before looking down at our feet, mumbling softly. "Look... I don't-... I don't have a lot of experience with these things. I don't know how you're, you know... supposed to act or what you're supposed to say, or... I just-..."

I sighed, struggling to get my I'm-really-inexperience-and-clueless-about-dating-but-I-really-like-you-a-lot-message across to her. I glanced up at her eyes.

"I really like you, and I wasn't shitting around last night when I said I want to see you again."

Bella raised her hands and gently wrapped them around my wrists, holding my hands to her cheeks as her smile grew wider. I swallowed heavily, feeling a bubbling sensation of relief fill my chest.

"Last night was... unbelievable. And I'd be a complete idiot if I didn't make sure we-... we see where this leads."

There. That was the best I could do. I've only had one cup of coffee, what do you want from me?

"Ok," she whispered, before her lips broke out in a delighted grin. "Good."

I chuckled under my breath, and since I was feeling a little proud of myself, I bent down and kissed her again. She pressed her lips against mine with the softest of pressure, both of us keeping the kiss gentle and still.

We broke apart when the kettle clicked, the rolling boil of the water slowly ebbing out and leaving the kitchen comfortably silent.

As I watched her separate the mini marshmallows from the cereal in her bowl of Lucky Charms a while later, I felt a seed of confidence planting itself in me. I could make this work with Bella. I could potentially have a relationship with her. We could explore this thing between us together, and maybe... maybe it would turn into something really good.

~»«~

"So..." Bella stopped outside the door to her building, turning around to look at me as I stopped one step down from her. "Thanks for last night. It was... amazing."

Then she blushed and looked down at her feet, pushing some hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, it was," I replied, making her shyly glance up at me. When she looked at me like that, I just didn't want to say goodbye to her.

After a long and lazy breakfast, which I'm pretty sure both of us tried to drag out as much as possible, I had regretfully told Bella that I needed to go pick up Maddie. I had offered to drive her home since she lived on the way to Tanya's house.

Of course, I would have driven her home regardless, but it was just really convenient this way.

"So..." I said this time, fiddling with my hands before pushing them into my pockets. "I'd really like to see you again... soon. We- we could maybe go for coffee or something, dur-during the week, like a quick coffee, because I have... work, but uh, yeah... and then, uhm... dinner? This- this weekend?"

_Oh good god, Cullen. Smooth. No, really – smooth_.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, choosing to study the banister rather than Bella's face.

"I'd love to," she said softly, making me look back up at her. Her smile was warm and gentle. "Call me?"

"Yeah," I said, grinning happily.

Then followed another few awkward seconds were we just looked at each other and smiled. Bella grew a pair of balls before I did, and she leaned in and kissed me. I'm sure she meant for it to be something quick and sweet, but once her lips touched mine I didn't want it to end. When she slowly started pulling back, I only followed, prolonging it as much as I could. She giggled soundlessly against my lips as she moved further back, only to have me take the one step up that was separating us.

Bella angled her face up to accommodate the sudden change of height, no longer trying to move away – in fact, she only stepped closer, pressing us together.

I could have stood there and kissed her for hours, but regretfully I knew that if I didn't leave now, Tanya would have my balls for being late to pick up Maddie, and my mom would have my ass for being late for lunch.

I liked my balls and my ass intact, thank you very much.

With that in mind, I opened my mouth just enough for the tip of my tongue to slip out. I caressed her bottom lip gently, savouring her taste, before pulling away with one last peck.

Bella swayed forward a little as I moved back, her eyes closed and a slightly dazed look on her face. I chuckled as she swallowed and opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as if trying to get her bearings.

_Yeah, I'm that good_.

She giggled like a little school-girl, staring up at me wide-eyed. "Uhm... ok, tha-.. that was... uhm." She giggled again, looking exceedingly flustered, stepping back and fumbling with her arm stretched out behind her, no doubt looking for the door handle. "Uhm... Ok, well... ta-talk to you later, then?"

She almost tripped as she continued blindly fumbling for the door, but she managed to catch herself before falling on her ass. "I'm fine! I'm fine," she assured me quickly, sparing a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure she actually connected with the door this time.

I chuckled as I lowered my hands, my arms having flown up reflexively as I saw her stumble, and she only bit her lip and blushed adorably.

"Yeah, I'll call you soon," I promised her, slowly walking backwards down the steps as I kept my eyes on her. She nodded and then abruptly turned on her heel and flew through the door, waving at me as it swung closed.

I was still thinking about her as I parked my car outside Tanya's house 10 minutes later, a nearly inerasable grin on my face. Bella was conjuring up emotions in me that I hadn't felt in ages, which was both exciting and scary. Scary in a good way. It was... new. I was just praying I wouldn't fuck it up.

However, as I turned to look out the passenger side window, taking in the familiar house, my thoughts shifted to Maddie. I wondered how she'd fared during the sleepover – I'd been half-worried that Tanya was going to call me last night, saying that my daughter was in hysterics and wanted to go home.

I worried sometimes about how hard it was for Maddie to meet new people and makes friends. Tanya's daughter, Michelle, was Maddie's closest friend, but sometimes I thought of her as Maddie's _only_ friend. The other girls she talked about from time to time seemed more like acquaintances, no matter how weird that was for a five year old to have. But that was Maddie; she just didn't open up to people.

I didn't know if her behaviour stemmed from fear or simple indifference, but she always seemed so content with the bubble she had created with me and our family. She really didn't seem to need more than that.

I still encouraged her to play with the other kids of course, but I was often told by her teachers that she and Michelle would stick together like pieces of Lego slathered generously with super-glue.

Knowing this, I couldn't help but imagine different scenarios of Maddie ignoring the other girls invited to the sleepover, or perhaps hiding somewhere just so she wouldn't have to talk to anyone.

I sighed as I got out of the car, walking up the slightly overgrown pathway leading to Tanya's door.

Tanya, being a single-parent just like me, was well aware of how difficult it was to raise a child all on your own. Ever since our kids became BFFs we had had many opportunities to talk and exchange stories and tips; I had learnt a lot from her, and she had helped me through situations where I otherwise would have fallen flat on my face. I considered Tanya a friend, someone who actually understood what it was like waking up at 3 a.m because your child just had a nightmare, and their heart-wrenchingly panicked screams jarred you out of sleep.

Tanya knew exactly what I was talking about when I confessed the time I had almost, for a split second, wanted drop Maddie out a window when she was just as baby, because she hadn't stopped crying for hours and hours due to a tummy ache. Tanya had been able to describe that horrible, sickening sense of guilt and shame that accompanied such thoughts much better than I ever would have thought possible, and it felt so good having that kind of support. I could never talk about those things with Alice, for example – she just wouldn't understand. Tanya and I had set up a sort of support-system with each other – I would almost always turn to her with my child-related issues, and vice versa.

I pressed my finger against the doorbell, hearing the muffled ring of it wavering through the house.

Tanya was a very kind and loving woman, and an amazing mother to Michelle.

She could also be absolutely terrifying when she was angry, and she had no problem handing me my balls on a silver platter if I pissed her off.

I glanced down at my watch, seeing that I was _supposed_ to pick up Maddie 10 minutes ago. I gulped, hoping against hope that Tanya would leave my balls out of this if she was angry with me.

I barely had time to finish that thought before the door swung open.

"You're late."

I grimaced sheepishly at Tanya, scratching my head as I waited for her to rip me a new one.

"I know, I'm sorry."

Tanya narrowed her grey-blue eyes at me, looking me up and down intently. She wouldn't open the door fully, nor move aside to let me in as she appraised me.

Suddenly her eyes narrowed even more and she leaned forward just a little bit as she stared at me. I furrowed my brow at her, just about to ask her what the fuck she was doing, when she gasped. Her eyes shot to mine, wide in astonishment.

"You got laid!"

My draw dropped. "How the-...? Wha-what are you-" I attempted to splutter, but she interrupted me before I could pretend to not know what she was talking about.

"Don't even try it, Cullen! You can't get that smug grin off your face and I haven't seen you this relaxed and happy in the three years that I've known you!"

And then she started laughing, leaning against the door with a hand on her hip.

"You got lucky!"

She was still laughing as she held her hand up for a high-five, which I studiously ignored.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Oh, come on – lighten up a little! Aren't you happy?"

At this I couldn't stop the grin that spread on my face. Tanya laughed louder, nodding at me.

"I knew it. So come on, tell me – how was the date?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Can I maybe come in first if we're going to have this discussion?"

"Oh!" She moved out of the way quickly, allowing me to step inside the house. "Sorry, I just got a little carried away." She sighed wistfully as she closed the door behind us. "It's been a while since I went on a date myself... let alone had sex. Tell me, is it still the same or have they changed it?"

I snorted at her desperate question, making her snicker.

"No, they haven't changed it."

She wiped a hand across her forehead. "Whew! Thank god – I wouldn't want to have to learn a bunch of new tricks when my old ones work so well." She levelled a teasing glare at me. "Not that you would know."

I sighed playfully, shrugging a little. It didn't bother me too much when she made comments like that, but they still made me feel just a little bit guilty. I had rebuffed her advanced twice since we had known each other, mostly because while I liked her as a friend, it wasn't really more than that for me. It was clear that it wasn't really more than that for Tanya either – what she had... propositioned... were more like booty calls or some sort of 'friends with benefits' deal. Thankfully she hadn't been offended when I turned her down, but she liked to tease me with small reminders of it from time to time.

I decided I needed to change the subject before we got into dangerous territory. "Where's Maddie? Did everything go alright yesterday?"

"She and Michelle are watching TV – the other girls were picked up an hour ago." She narrowed her eyes at me in a mock glare before laughing. She waved me through the house, indicating the kitchen. "Yesterday went well – Maddie was a little... silent," she looked at me as she said this, smiling reassuringly against my worried frown, "but she joined in the games anyway. I think she had fun."

I sighed in relief – that was better than I had hoped. "She didn't go and hide or anything?"

"Only when they played hide and seek," Tanya informed me happily, winking. She was almost as invested in making Maddie more sociable as I was – she and Michelle spent so much time together that they were almost like sisters, and Tanya had a weak spot for my daughter.

I heard the noise of the TV and the two little girls laughing as we entered the kitchen, and I continued through to the living room to get Maddie.

I came in to see them sitting on the floor in front of the couch, rather than on the couch itself, as usual. I shook my head at them with a chuckle. Maddie heard me; her head snapped around and her face split up in a brilliant smile as she saw me. Her expression sent warmth spreading through me – I would never get tired of how happy she always was to see me. I knew that would change the older she got, but for now I could just pretend that she was always going to be my little girl and that she'd never become 14 years old, screaming that she hates me and talking about boys all the time.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed ecstatically, scrambling off the floor and running towards me.

"Hey, honey," I greeted her, smiling as bent down to grab her. I lifted her into a hug, making her squeal delightfully.

I settled her more comfortably against me, wistfully thinking back on the times when she fit in the crook of my arm.

"Did you have a good time last night?" I asked her.

"Mmhm!" She nodded vigorously, pulling on the collar of my shirt. "We had cake and watched movies, and we all slept on the floor!"

"You did?" I asked, exaggerating my enthusiasm. "Did you save any cake for me?"

She giggled and shook her head. "No. It was a girl cake!"

I have no idea what a 'girl cake' is, but I assumed it was either pink or Barbie-themed.

"No cake for daddy?" I pouted.

"Nu-uh!"

"Hmm..." I hummed contemplatively. "Well, then I guess... I'm just going to have to eat you!"

I grabbed her hand and started pulling it to my mouth, watching her eyes turned wide and her smile even wider. She screamed and laughed as I brought her fingers to my mouth to munch on them, pulling against my hold – which was admittedly not very strong.

"No, no!" she laughed, wiggling her fingers out of my grasp. I sighed in disappointment.

"But I'm hungry," I told her.

"You can't eat me!"

I pouted some more. "But you're the yummiest thing in the whole world."

She giggled and buried her face in my neck. I chuckled under my breath, heaving another despondent sigh. "Guess I'll just have to eat grandma's food."

Maddie gasped. "Grandma?" she asked, raising her head to look at me. I could practically feel the excitement building in her.

"Mmhm. We're going there for lunch."

I grinned as Maddie started bouncing in my arms.

"Grandma's cookies?!" she squealed hopefully, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head.

When your mother owns a bakery and knows how to make fuck-awesome baked goods, there will be nothing your child loves more than the prospect of going over to her house.

"Maybe..." I nodded teasingly, "if you hurry up and get your stuff. We need to leave now before we're late, honey."

"Put me down!" She kicked her legs frantically, just barely missing my nads, and I quickly put her down on the floor, watching her and Michelle take off to gather up her stuff.

While I waited, Tanya forced me to tell her about my date with Bella, wanting all the sordid details. I refused to tell her much about our walk down the pier or the things that happened afterwards, and thankfully, Maddie came bounding up to me before Tanya could press me for information, saving me from the clutches of Tanya's inner gossip-monster.

I left the house with a self-satisfied smirk in my friends direction, laughing as she stuck her tongue out at me.

My daughter was basically buzzing with excitement – a trait worryingly similar to Alice – in the backseat as I drove over to my parents' house. I tried to inconspicuously ask her about the sleepover and how she'd interacted with the other girls, but she wasn't having any of it; all my questions were answered with monosyllabic hums and silent nods before she started talking about something else.

I gave up when we arrived at my parents house, knowing that there was no way I was getting any information out of Maddie now. After I helped her out of the car, she ran ahead of me, barging through the door without knocking.

She had already located her grandmother by the time I made it over the threshold. I could hear my mother's delighted voice from the kitchen as she greeted Maddie and I quickly made my way there.

I arrived to see Maddie sitting on the countertop, watching with unparalleled fascination as Mom vigorously stirred something in a bowl.

"Hey, Mom," I said as I came up beside her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "What are you making?"

I glanced down at the shiny, brown batter – it was the exact same colour as Bella's hair. That I even noticed that was insane.

"Hi, sweetheart," Mom answered, giving me a quick glance before returning her attention to the bowl cradled in her arm. "Cupcakes. Just something I'm trying out for the shop."

"Mmhm," I hummed suspiciously, throwing a glance of my own over to my daughter. She was leaning closer to Mom, her eyes wide and greedy as they followed the movement of the spatula. "Mom, Maddie already had cake and god knows what else last night – I don't want her to-"

"Oh, hush," Mom interrupted me, giving me a teasing frown. "Let me spoil my granddaughter. I don't see her very often."

"Mom, you see her every other day," I said, as if I needed to remind her of the fact that she watched Maddie for me every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after preschool. With Maddie's inclination to avoid social interaction, we had compromised on the amount of time she spent in school. On her days, Mom would pick her up in the early afternoon until I got off work at five, and the two remaining days Maddie would go home with Michelle for a few hours.

I hated that she had to spend the majority of her waking hours without me, just because I had to work. I tried to make it up to her on the weekends, but it still felt as if it wasn't really enough. I just didn't know what else to do.

"Yeah, yeah," Mom muttered dismissively, giving my daughter an impish smile.

I sighed before leaning in and whispering quietly to my mother. "One cupcake, alright? I'd rather not have to deal with a sugar-high tonight."

A slightly disappointed pout appeared on her face for a second, before leaving room for a resigned expression, followed by a nod.

I smiled and stuck my finger in the batter with lightning speed.

"Hey!" Mom admonished, slapping at my arm lightly. I only grinned, winking at Maddie when she giggled at us.

"Is Em here yet?" I asked before sucking the batter off my finger. _Jesus Christ, my mother could bake_. "This is fu-... this is delicious, Mom."

Even after five years I found it hard to control my verbal filter around Maddie. At this point she probably thought 'fu-' and 'shi-' were actual words.

"Thanks, sweetie. Yeah, he's out on the deck with your father. Alice and Jasper should be arriving soon."

"Alright," I nodded before circling my mother and stopping in front of Maddie. "Wanna go see uncle Em?"

She lit up with a bright smile and nodded vigorously, stretching her arms out so I could help her off the counter. She and Emmett had a special relationship that even I had problems understanding sometimes, and whenever she got to see him she was a happy girl. I swear, they'd come up with their own secret language any day now.

_Technically_, Emmett was my cousin, but we all considered him a brother or a son. His parents had died in a car accident when he was four years old and Mom had immediately brought her sister's son home without a second thought. As I grew older, and especially after having Maddie, I was in awe of my mother when I thought back on that time – how she managed to take care of a four year old, a three year old and a one year old, while at the same time mourning the loss of her sister, was beyond me.

I put Maddie on the floor and watched her run off. I was just about to follow her when I felt a hand on my arm, making me stop and glance at my mother.

"Actually, Edward, I wanted to talk to you about something," she said as she turned around to the kitchen island, bowl in hand. A pan sat there waiting for her, colourful cupcake liners just begging to be filled.

_Much like Bella last night_... _fuck, Cullen, stop it!_

"Oh, yeah?" I asked as I moved around the island, leaning against it opposite Mom. I watched as she methodically scraped heaping spoons of batter into the paper cups, once again reminded of Bella's hair.

"How did your date go last night?" she asked, eyes cast down on her task.

I groaned and dropped my head down on my arms, lying crossed before me on the countertop. "Mom...!" I whined, enjoying the added effect of how muffled it sounded when I spoke against my arm.

"Oh, come on, Edward!" Mom whined right back. "I'm your mother – I can't ask how the first date you've been on in five years went?"

I groaned again at the touch of hurt that weaved through her voice, feeling the guilt only mothers can bestow on their children rise in me.

With a long, deep sigh I straightened out and levelled a resigned look at her. "It was great."

Mom's eyebrows rose slowly as she waited for me to elaborate, dipping her head down and everything. When I didn't speak, her expression abruptly turned frustrated.

"Edward..." she warned, and I felt like stomping my foot and groaning like a little child because she was forcing me to talk about my date with Bella.

"Fine! It's was really great – I took her to my favourite restaurant, we talked about anything and everything, and we really hit it off. We took a walk down the pier and then I drove her home."

I was _technically_ speaking the truth; I just omitted the fact that I drove her home like 12 hours after the walk down the pier. Details like that weren't really necessary for my mother to know about.

"Mmhm..." she hummed slowly. Her gaze was contemplative. "And you like her?"

I paused before nodding. "I do. We're going out for coffee later this week, and I'm taking her out to dinner on Saturday or something."

It worried me a little that my mother wasn't smiling. I would have thought this would make her happy – happy for me, that maybe I had finally found someone.

Instead, she asked the one thing that was sure to dampen my mood. "Does she know? About Emily?"

I scowled, the old resentment and hate that _her_ name conjured up in me every single time it was mentioned boiling to the surface.

"I've told her enough for now," I said in a clipped tone – my anger wasn't directed at Mom, and she was well aware of this and took no offence against the venom in my voice.

"Alright..." she said doubtfully, eyeing me for a few seconds before dropping the spoons into the bowl; she reached over with her free hands and lightly squeezed my fingers. "Just... be careful, Edward. For Maddie's sake?"

I frowned at her, a touch of irritation flaring up inside me. What was she implying?

She correctly identified my expression and sighed before elaborating. "Just think about it, sweetie. I'm not saying this will happen, I'm just talking about the worst-case scenario, ok? What if you and Bella rush into a relationship, and you bring her into Maddie's life, and everything is great and wonderful... until it maybe _isn't_ anymore? If Maddie learns to accept Bella into her little bubble, allows Bella to come close to her... you've said yourself that you've never seen her take to a stranger so quickly before - if Maddie starts to care about Bella, how do you think it will affect her if Bella leaves?"

I opened my mouth to argue back, to vehemently ask why she thought things wouldn't work out between Bella and I, why she was so sure Bella would leave, but she held up a hand to shush me before I could speak.

"Again, I'm _not_ saying that this will happen, Edward. I really don't think it will. You and Bella might... well, it might work out _wonderfully_. Just think about the possibility that it won't. There's always a risk for that, in any relationship. But you have to think not only about how your and Bella's lives might change, but about Maddie's as well." She said this softly, warmth and concern radiating from her eyes.

"You're a great father, Edward, and I know that Maddie's welfare is the most important thing to you – just remember that as new as this whole dating-thing is to _you_, it's also new to Maddie. If Bella becomes a permanent feature in your lives, Maddie will have to learn how to share you in a way she hasn't had to before. There's no telling how she might react to that, and you need to be prepared for anything."

She paused to let her words fully sink in, squeezing my fingers tightly as my shoulders dropped in realisation. She was completely right, of course. The budding sense of joy and hopefulness that had been growing in me in regards to Bella was now being challenged by insecurities and potential problems. I could feel myself slowly sinking into a dejected state of mind, even as I tried to fight it off.

"You just need to keep it all in mind as you and Bella go forward. You know better than anyone that once you have a child, it's no longer just about _you_. It's about them, too. Let Maddie slowly get accustomed to having another person so close to you, and gradually explain to her what's going on. I think that as long as you don't overwhelm her, and let her work things through at her own pace, you'll be fine."

I sighed deeply as questions, concerns and millions of scenarios started volleying through my mind. I couldn't believe I hadn't really given this much thought before – I think I just assumed Maddie would be totally fine with everything, but my mother's wise words made me realise that she might not be.

I needed to think about this carefully; formulate some sort of plan. Mom was right – this wasn't just about me and Bella, as it might have been in another situation. I had a daughter who was my number one priority, and I needed to proceed with care as I introduced Bella into our lives.

I sighed again and stared dejectedly out the window as I realised I should probably talk to Bella about all of this – make sure she understood that things had to go forward a little differently with us. I could only hope it wouldn't scare her off.

Fuck, this was going to be harder than I had thought.

* * *

**So, a little peek into DILFward's head. Did you all enjoy it?**

**I'm going to do something a little differently with this story than I did with my other one. From now one, reviewers get teasers. **

**My review replies might therefore take a lot longer than some of you might be used to, but as soon as I have something to tease you about, I will send it out. **

**Also, from time to time I will be submitting teasers in the form of pictures: www (dot) pictease (dot) blogspot (dot) com. **

**If you haven't heard of it, it's a place where every Monday, authors submit picteases for their upcoming chapters. I will try to do this as often as I can, so just keep an eye out on the site if that sounds interesting. **

**Oh, and one last thing before I try to shut up: My one-shot "Up To Scratch" is currently in the first round of voting in the FML Contest. The round is open until February 24, and I would be über jazzed and ecstatic if it made it to the second round. **

**If you feel like it, you can go here and cast your vote: http://www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/u/2187120/FML_Contest**

**From now on I will work harder to not write such long and annoying a/n's, I promise. **

**Until next time ladies and gents (because I know that there are at least two guys reading this! *waves*),**

**xxxx**

**/Victoria  
**


	3. Hump Day

**The response to the last chapter was just so amazing. I was a bit overwhelmed with all the love and support you guys showed this little story of mine. I can't even tell you how much it means to me, and I am just so glad you're all enjoying this. **

**On a side-note that I meant to mention the last chapter, I just want to point out that Emily in this story is an ****original**** character - she is not Emily Young from the books. I don't know if it matters much, I just wanted clear up any possible confusion. **

**As always, bouncy 72 - I love you. Thank you for everything that you do. **

**Oh, and credit goes to the wonderful jaxon22 (author of the amazing "Help Wanted", which you need to read now if you haven't already) for the "energizercock" comment. Thanks bb!  
**

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Hump Day**

BPOV

It was stupid. Fruitless. Pointless, even – but I did it anyway.

After thoroughly embarrassing myself in front of Edward by acting like a complete spaz because he kissed me, I crept silently up the stairs to my apartment, forgoing the elevator and its tell-tale ding-sound as it arrived. I even went as far as slipping off my heels and digging my keys out of my purse as quietly as possible before I even got to my floor.

I slowly peeked my head around the banister to make sure no one was in the hallway. Seeing that the coast was clear, I hauled ass to my apartment, slinking through the door with a violently beating heart.

I closed the door quickly but carefully, cringing at the click of the lock. I prayed she hadn't heard me.

I knew I was being utterly ridiculous. I knew there was no point in my less than stellar James-Bond-skills, but I couldn't help myself. I needed to change my clothes before she saw me.

Why I needed to do this is way beyond me. It's stupid. Fruitless. Pointless. Because it didn't matter what I was wearing, or how silently I managed to creep into my apartment. It didn't matter that I managed to successfully complete a 'walk of shame' without anyone seeing me. Rose was going to know I got laid last night anyway.

If it weren't for the fact that she watched Jake for me while I was on my date, I would avoid my neighbour as long as possible. I didn't want to see her knowing looks and teasing smirks as she asked me where I was all night.

I should probably feel guilty about not calling her to let her know that I wouldn't be home. I had promised her that I would pick up Jake at a reasonable hour, but instead I basically abandoned him with her without so much as a word of apology or explanation.

However, I couldn't really bring myself to feel guilty about it – it wasn't (entirely) my fault that Edward managed to distract me to such an extent that any thought that didn't involve him drifted out of my brain on a delightfully lusty breeze.

I knew there was no way in hell I was getting out of talking about my date, and it's not like I wanted too either. I _wanted_ to talk about how handsome Edward looked, I _wanted_ to gush about how he opened doors and pushed my chair in for me. I _wanted_ to spill almost all of the delicious details about the amazing sex and I _wanted_ to brag about Edward's energizercock that lasts and lasts.

I just didn't want to do it _now_. I needed a nice, long nap – because as long as I was being honest with myself, I was exhausted – followed by lunch, and then I needed to do something about the budding itch in my fingers to write. _Then_ I might be more inclined to spill my guts. I just didn't think Rose was going to accept that.

I dimly wondered if I could bribe her with Chinese take-out and Ben & Jerry's if she held off on the inquisition until later as I stood outside her door.

She opened it silently after I knocked, cocking her hip with attitude as she gave me a look that said '_I know what and who you did last night, so cut the bullshit and tell me_.'

I nervously cleared my throat and looked over her shoulder, trying to ignore the burning intensity in her ice-blue eyes.

"Uhm… Jake?" I asked in a pathetically wobbly voice, hoping against hope that she'd smile cheerily, give me my dog and let me get on my merry way to a nap.

Instead her right eyebrow rose just the perfect amount to add even more freaky-ass scariness to her expression. I gulped and felt the beginning tingle of a cold-sweat crawling over my skin. There was no way I was getting out this.

"I should have call-"

"Yes, you should have," she interrupted me, her voice hard and efficient as she stared me down.

"I'm sorr-"

"Yes, you are."

"Will you let me fini-"

"No, I won't. Not unless you're talking about how last night went."

I sighed and let my head fall back. "Rose, please? Can it wait until tonight? I'm really tired and I need to get some work done."

All I could hear were her fingers drumming against her door. I raised my head and adopted a beseeching pout as I silently pleaded with her.

"Come on, Rose – I'm way to tired right now. You know I'll tell you all the juicy details later, just… not now?"

Her lips twisted into a speculative pucker and she frowned a little. "Will there be Chinese?"

"And Ben & Jerry's," I nodded in affirmation.

She let me sweat for another few seconds before reluctantly nodding. "Fine. But there better be a pint of Dublin Mudslide with my name on it when I come over!" She pointed at me threateningly, daring me to refuse her demands.

I'm not that stupid.

"Of course, I promise. I'll tell you everything tonight." I exhaled slowly, so fucking relived that she let me off the hook. With a small shake of my head, I cracked a smile. "Can I have my dog back now?"

Instead of answering, she opened her door wider to let me in. With an ease that came with a comfortable familiarity, I made my way through her apartment to find Jake curled up on her kitchen floor.

Rose was the first friend I made in Seattle when I moved here from New York five months ago. When I went on my press tour in early November, I had left New York for the first time since the night that turned my life into a major clusterfuck. Leaving the city and all that it reminded me of had been like a huge-ass brick of awareness whacking me in the face. It had made me realize just how much harder I was making it for myself by staying there.

I couldn't move on until I had moved out.

That being said, I could have gone anywhere really. All I needed was a place to live and my laptop – the great luxuries of being a writer. My reasoning for coming to Seattle specifically was simple: this was the closest I could come to home without actually living in Forks itself. I needed a large city around me, having had enough of the small-town life while growing up to, ironically enough, last me a lifetime. Moving to Seattle meant getting away from New York, and being closer to Charlie, two things I desperately needed.

Gaining Rose's friendship had just been a huge bonus.

The beautiful blonde sauntered into the kitchen behind me as I roused Jake from his sleep. She watched as the dog enthusiastically welcomed me back into his presence, having been without me for a whopping whole 16 hours.

"Did he behave last night?" I asked as I pushed Jake back down onto the floor when he made what I can only assume was an attempt to climb me like a tree.

"Yeah, he was fine. I've taken him out twice to let him... _do his business_," she assured me, "and he ever so kindly refrained from chewing on my shoes all throughout the night."

I chuckled under my breath, scratching the puppy behind his ears. "Seems like he's learning not to mess with you, huh?"

"He's smart, for a blonde."

When I turned to her with a sarcastically arched eyebrow, she winked at me, tossing her own very blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Didn't you need a nap or something? Because if you've changed your mind, I'd be more than happy to start discussing your date right now..." She trailed off suggestively, a teasing lilt to her voice.

I vehemently shook my head. "Nope, I need some rest." I levelled a glance at her, and just because I couldn't resist, I added, "I didn't get much sleep last night, after all."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Oh, you little tease! Get out of my apartment before I tackle you to the floor and force you to tell me every dirty detail."

I snorted with a nod, making my way out of her kitchen as I slapped my thigh twice, telling Jake to follow me to the door.

"I'll see you later tonight then?" I asked, purely out of a sense of formality, as I opened the door to my apartment to let the dog inside. I turned back to look at Rose, standing in her own doorway across the hall.

"You bet your juicy ass you will," she said with finality, not giving me a chance to respond before retreating back into her apartment and closing her door.

~»«~

I used to hate Mondays. With a vengeance. Especially in high school, when all I wanted to do every morning was just sleep and not get up for boring classes and mundane conversations. It's just that principal of 'Monday' – the end of the weekend, going back to work or school, and just being a notoriously annoying day – that bugs the shit out of people.

You only ever like Mondays if you're on vacation, because then it really doesn't matter what day of the week it is, you're _still_ on vacation.

As I sat on my couch, with The One Thing I Can't Live Without, aka my laptop, balancing between my knees, I revelled in the fact that it was a Monday, and I really didn't have to hate it, because I didn't have to go anywhere for work. My work was humming away between my knees on a piece of fancy machinery, and it was currently past noon and I still hadn't changed out of my pyjamas.

Again, perks of being a writer.

However, this Monday proved to be just a little bit better than what I was used to. Right in the middle of going over my book outline, a delightful chirp rang out from my phone. Or well, it wasn't so much 'delightful' as it was jarring, and it wasn't so much a 'chirp' as it was a recording of Rose burping my name.

Yeah, we're all kinds of classy.

With my eyes still flying back and forth over the screen, and half my mind still focused on the words, I fumbled around beside me to find the phone. I slowly dragged my eyes away from the computer to cast a quick glance at the screen in my hand, anticipating a lunch request from Rose or something similar.

I did a double-take when Edward's name popped up. My heart stopped for a split second before busting out in a nervous and giddy gallop. My face instantaneously went from focused frown to overjoyed grin as blood raced through my body and my heart pounded out a hard and excited rhythm that almost hurt.

The 13-year old girl in me started shrieking '_It's Edward! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Edward! He's texting me! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!_' as nervous butterflies fluttered around the general area of my stomach.

It elated me that the only other being to see my ridiculously stupid grin and happy shimmy on the couch was a half-asleep puppy. The alternative – like if Rose had been there – would have been too embarrassing for words, especially after I gushed about Edward for over two hours last night. She had enough ammunition to tease me with for an eternity right there.

With a bated breath that bordered on being worthy of any sappy romance novel, I opened the text.

**Coffee on Wednesday? I can't wait to see you again. x Edward**

Those 10 words made me ecstatic to the point of insanity. I badly suppressed a shriek before collapsing against the squishy pillows of the back of the couch, holding the phone to my chest.

He _can't wait_ to see me again! My goofy grin must have been unparalleled to any goofy grin ever known to mankind. Edward Cullen, Mr. Sexy-Smart-and-Sweet with an energizercock that lasts and lasts, wants to see me for coffee on Wednesday. And _he can't wait!_

"You hear that, Jake? Huh? He wants to see me on Wednesday and he can't fucking wait!"

Jake stared at me with confusion, his tail doing a hesitant sweep across the floor once before settling back down. He made a low keening noise as he cocked his head to the right.

In an incredibly childish and moronic move, I blew a raspberry at him, because that's clearly the normal response one has after bragging about boys to ones dog.

"You wouldn't understand this sort of thing anyway," I told him before going back to re-read the text, oh… two or fifteen times. I knew something like this was coming, since he had mentioned going out for coffee yesterday when he dropped me off, but it was still excruciatingly exciting to get asked for a specific occurrence.

For each time that I read the message through, it felt like a bubble of giddiness tickled its way up through my body, broadening my smile and elating me to a level of bliss I hadn't felt in years. An insane giggle burst out of me as I imagined shiny, pink bubbles the size of softballs coming out of my ears, floating along in the air above my head. Again, _Edward Cullen couldn't wait to see me_.

Yes, it was a fairly simple text and yes, my reaction was perhaps a bit overdone and girly, but I was just so… I don't know, I was just so…

So… _smitten_.

I was smitten with Edward Cullen.

He was just so sweet and sexy and funny and adorable, and I couldn't resist his crooked grins and genuine chuckles, or the soft, warm caramel tones of his voice and how he'd rub his left eyebrow when he was trying to formulate an answer to a question.

He was just so cute, and I was so _smitten_, and I was going to see him on Wednesday.

It then hit me that I should probably reply to his text instead of getting lost in my pink and fluffy daydreams and forgetting to let him know that I did in fact want to go out for coffee on Wednesday. Although, I obviously wouldn't be having coffee because it gave me heartburn and while I liked the way it smelled, I couldn't stand the taste and also I was pretty positive that I was chronically addicted to tea but I wasn't necessarily sure I needed to tell him that right now, because it could probably wait until Wednesday and-… _oh shut up, you idiot!_

When my internal ramblings had been sufficiently dealt with I snuggled deeper into the cushions and brought my phone away from my chest, but as I looked down at the screen and read the message through one more time, I froze. I suddenly panicked about how I should respond to him, which was ridiculous because all I really had to say was something along the lines of '_of course, I'd love to go out for coffee, and I can't wait to see you either, but I think Wednesday is too far away, so why don't you just come over to my apartment right now and fuck me into oblivion, please?_' without sounding desperate.

Write a 400 page novel, I could do. Reply to a text message without sounding clinically insane… not so much.

I quickly dithered back and forth about whether I should call Rose. She was so much better about this whole dating thing and relationships than I was – I was pretty positive she would be able to tell me if there were any subliminal messages hidden in Edward's words; she would most likely dissect the sentence structure and word choices, telling me what he meant _exactly_ by saying 'I can't wait" or the possible reasons for wanting to meet on Wednesday specifically.

If I wasn't already crazy, that would drive me batshit insane.

I bit my lip in indecision. I wanted to write a perfect text, relaying not only a casual acceptance of our date, but also weaving in a subconscious message to let him know that I just loved seeing him, because he was so sweet and sexy and handsome and adorable and everything I never knew I actually wanted, despite how cliché that actually sounded, because I was just so _smitten_ with him and I was just really hoping he felt something similar about me.

_See? I belong in a mental institution_.

My thumb hovered over the keys, undecided about my next course of action. Call Rose and beg her to help me, or try to do it on my own and let Edward know exactly how relationship-challenged I was?

_Call Rose, do it myself… Call Rose, do it myself… Call Rose, do it myself…?_

Just as I had almost, definitely, maybe decided to call Rose, it occurred to me belatedly to ask myself: what did Edward do?

Did he ask someone to help him? Did he go to Alice or Jasper, or his brother who was actually his cousin, and asked them for advice on when to ask me and what to say?

My thoughts went to yesterday morning, when he had confessed that he didn't know very much about dating and what you were supposed to do in our situation, but that he really liked me and wanted to see me again.

_Was he really as relationship-retarded as I was? Was there perhaps no point in dissecting his message in a vain effort to figure out his game, solely because he didn't have one? _

"What do you think, Jake? Is it really that simple?"

The puppy didn't even bother lifting his head from his paws – he just looked up at me, the most obvious '_duh'_-face I had ever seen on an animal directed at me.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'…" I mumbled to myself as my thumb made the decision to reply to Edward on my own.

About fucking time too. See, a normal woman would have replied as soon as she saw the damn message, but no, not me, not Bella Swan – she has to drive herself to the city limit of Crazy Town and back before she can even contemplate accepting a simple request to go out for coffee with the guy she's _smitten_ with.

**I'd love to – just name the time and place. x Bella**

I looked down at what I'd written. Was it too bland, too impersonal? Too generic? Should I put in an exclamation mark, or would that make me seem desperate and/or hyper? Was a smiley-face childish, or did it enhance the sentiment I was trying to put across?

I erased it and tried again.

**Sounds great! Just tell me when and where. x Bella**

Better or worse?

"For the ever-loving cocksucking whore, why is this so difficult?!" I demanded of my phone, sprouting out random curse words for the sake of that colourful flare I was so fond of.

**I'd love to. When and where? I can't wait to see you either. x Bella**

Well, tha-... that was... yeah. Yeah, that was ok.

With a panicked "_eek_"-sound slipping out between my petrified lips, I hit send before I could change my mind and hide under my pillow forever.

_I had a coffee-date with Edward Cullen on Wednesday._

I allowed myself five seconds in which to release the suddenly violently bubbling sense of joy inside me, letting out a high-pitched squeal and kicking my legs as I thrust my arm skyward.

I think Jake rolled his eyes at me.

With an extremely feminine sigh, very á la Disney Princess, I fell sideways on the couch, staring dreamily into space with my phone cradled against my chest. I was therefore shocked when only a minute late, Rose's very unfeminine burping rendition of my name echoed between my tits.

I sat up so fast I went all dizzy and faint, but I didn't care because Edward just texted me back and that just took precedence over basically anything right now. With eager fingers and my lip clamped in between my teeth, I opened up his message.

**I can pick you up at noon? I know a great place we can go to. x E**

I didn't allow myself any time to think about my answer, because I'd just drive myself even more crazy than I already was, and that was just too much hassle for a Monday.

**Okay, sounds great. See you then. xx Bella**

Oh yeah, I did the double 'x', I stepped it up another notch. I think. Oh god, I hope he doesn't think I'm a clingy loser who's hopelessly in love with him already. I'd hate for that to scare him off.

Because I'm just... so... so... _smitten_.

Wednesday couldn't come fast enough.

~»«~

I may or may not have purposely stayed awake until 1.30 a.m on Tuesday night so that I wouldn't wake up until around 10 a.m on Wednesday. Then I may or may not have taken a really long shower and shaved all the important bits of my body, and even some of the less important ones.

Then I may or may not have frantically stalked my living room window from 11 a.m, pressing my nose flat against the glass every 30 seconds to glance down at the street. Every time I looked down and Edward's car wasn't there, my breath would catch in my throat nervously, and I would chew on my thumbnail with the mentality of a rodent. Realistically I knew that since he had said he would pick me up at _noon_, it wasn't really necessary for me to so diligently leave 120 smudgy nose-prints on my windowpane as I kept an eye out for him. However, I was so rarely realistic anyway, so why would I bother with it now?

By the time noon actually rolled around I was such a nervous wreck that I almost fell over when I saw his car pull to a stop outside my building. I braced myself against the wall, on the verge of hyperventilating, as I watched him gracefully step out of his car.

He casually threw a glance up and down the street as he adjusted his suit jacket, having clearly come here directly from work. My heart basically stopped when, after locking his car, he turned his face up to look at my building, surreptitiously trying to spot my apartment.

Being completely swallowed by an irrational panic that he would see me staring at him through my window and realise what a fucktastically creepy person I actually was when it came to him, I flew away from my perch by the wall with a sharp squeak. I took up pacing by my door instead, because that was clearly the saner thing to do.

I was pretty sure I was going to faint, when only a minute or two later, he knocked on my door. Somehow I managed to avoid this seriously counterproductive event from happening, and I successfully managed to open the door for him.

_Holy fuck, he's so pretty_.

Edward, in all his crocked-grin-and-glittering-eyes-and-messy-bronze-haired-glory, was breathtaking up close. It wasn't like I'd forgotten just how incredibly handsome he was since I last saw him, I'd just managed to convince myself that I was exaggerating in my own mind. Surely no one was as gorgeous as I remembered him, and I was clearly just making shit up to make me feel better about myself, because I had hit that fine piece of man-meat three times – but fuck... seeing him standing in my doorway, looking so completely yummy and hot?

My memory had not done him justice.

"Hey," he said, in a sort of breathy, happy voice as he smiled at me.

What did I do in response to this very normal behaviour? I stared at him with my mouth hanging open.

His expression stayed happily bright and warm as I stared, but after a few seconds it slowly started inching towards the 'totes-confused-wtf-'area, and I hastily snapped my mouth shut before he called off our date on account of me being creepy and weird.

"Uh-... hi."

_Brilliant. Good job, Swan_.

His eyebrow was still slightly quirked as he looked at me, almost as if he was waiting to see if I'd do anything else that went against the norm of society. To save him some trouble, I grabbed my purse off the tiny table next to the door and slipped it over my shoulder.

"Should we get going?" I asked him, smiling brightly in an attempt to show him that I could in fact not act like a total spaz.

"Oh, yeah – of course." He stepped back to allow me to exit my apartment, his almost-confused frown slipping away completely as his smile returned. I felt his gaze on me as I locked the door; when I turned back around his eyes were filled with a kind warmth that instantly made me blush just a little.

"You look nice," he complimented me, his hand reaching out but faltering just short of touching my skirt. He held it there for a second or two before his hand fell away, and he gave me a timid grin.

"Thanks," I said while desperately trying to tone down the ridiculously happy grin about to bust its way onto my face. I tucked some hair behind my ear and tried to act like I hadn't spent all day yesterday agonising over what to wear.

He ducked his head a little, before reaching up to drag his hand through his hair. Watching the strands slowly slipping through his fingers, some falling back into place and others rebelling by pointing in all different directions... I swear, my mind not only went a little fuzzy, it also played the scene in front of me in slow-motion.

Edward looking back up before gesturing down the hallway, silently telling me to lead the way, snapped me out of my fascination with his bronze locks and I turned away with a smile.

I fantasised that he let me walk first not only because he was a gentleman, but also because he totally wanted to check out my ass. I really couldn't help adding just a little bit extra swing to my hips as I walked.

"So..." he said as we stepped into the elevator. "How are you?"

I smiled brightly at him. "I'm great. Just working and stuff... how about you?"

He chuckled soundlessly, pressing the button on the panel. "I'm good, too. Also working – what a coincidence."

I laughed at his dry tone. "Tough day at the office?"

He shrugged with a wry smile, raising his voice just a little over the sound of the elevator starting its descent. "No more than usual. Although, given that the 'usual' means a fuckload of meetings and phone-consultations and reports... well, yeah, I guess you could say it was tough."

He grinned at me, shuffling a little closer in the confined space.

I laughed again, nodding sympathetically as I pretended to know what he was talking about. Edward had told me about his job, and while I understood that he had a high-ranking position in his company, my lack of general know-how regarding companies and offices left me a little befuddled as to what he actually did for a living. I couldn't even remember what his company was all about.

I should probably try to figure some of that shit out soon.

"So what are you working on?" he asked, turning more fully towards me.

I narrowed my eyes teasingly at him, pursing my lips as if contemplating something. "I don't know if I can tell you. Will you promise not to reveal any huge secrets about my new book?"

Edward's lips twitched as he fought to control his neutrally interested expression. "I would never do such a thing as to compromise your artistic integrity."

I brought my bottom lip in between my teeth to keep from laughing. "I guess I can trust you. As long as you promise."

"Cross my heart..." he teased, acting out his words by way of emphasis. I watched with amusement as he drew a large 'X' mark across the left side of his chest.

Of course, the horny part of my brain conjured up some pretty good reminders of exactly what that chest looked like under the shirt, and how it felt moving against me, his soft skin sliding easily across my own, both of us slick with perspiration; how the muscles rippled and contracted with his efforts as he plunged into me repeatedl-

"That's legally binding you know," I teased back, gesturing towards his chest. Mentally, I slapped Horny Bella in the face to bring her out of her lust-induced haze. "Break that promise and my lawyers will be hounding your ass."

Edward threw his head back and laughed, filling the tiny space with the delicious sound. I started chuckling in response, starting a little when the elevator doors slid open. The audible expression of my amusement got caught in my throat as I suddenly felt Edward's large, warm hand gently resting against my back, guiding me forward and out into the entry hall.

We didn't speak again until we were situated in his car, where he repeated his question as to what I was currently working on. As I filled him in on the basics of the story – a sequel to my first novel – he listened attentively, skilfully splitting his concentration between me and the road. There was a certain ease in our conversation, perhaps stemming from some mutual desire to not let awkwardness or preconceived notions get in the way of our... thing... budding relationship... whatever it was.

It was easy – fun, relaxed – talking to him, and even when we sometimes fell silent, it was never one of those horrible, embarrassing silences that one or the other tried to fill with meaningless chatter. I was comfortable with periods of silences, being the sort of person who only felt the need to speak when I actually had something to say. It pleased me on some basic level that Edward appeared to be the same.

When I reminded myself that Edward and I really didn't know each other very well, that we hadn't really spent that much time together, it amazed me how I could feel so comfortable with him. I felt as if we _must have_ shared more moments and more information about each other, because it certainly felt that way; I already felt a tentative, but growing, bond between us and that was something that usually took me longer to find with people.

I knew then that whatever it was between us, it was something quite special – not something you would find every day. It felt important, and a hint of protectiveness came over me. This was something to treasure, to take good care of. We owed it to ourselves, and to each other, to not fuck it up.

After a while, he pulled up outside a cute little café that instantly made me smile, just from the look of the outside. With a stern voice, but joking glint in his eyes, Edward ordered me to stay put as he climbed out and came to my side, opening my door for me with that crooked grin of his.

I rolled my eyes with a giggle, thanking him as I got out and straightened my skirt.

"You're welcome," he murmured warmly as he locked up the car and once again placed his hand on the small of my back. I felt my cheeks heating up just a little with pleasure at his touch – even through the fabric of my shirt, the warmth of his skin caressed me, making every affected nerve cell rush to send tingling signals up my spine. My heart definitely reacted as well, letting me know for certain that even the most innocent touch from Edward affected me more than anyone else's.

The café smelled like coffee, chocolate and sugar and I inhaled deeply as Edward steered me over to the counter. It was quite empty for this time of day, but I only felt relief at that; being in crowded places unnerved me, and that was the last way I wanted to feel anywhere near Edward.

The barista, a dark-haired guy in his early twenties, gave us an expectant smile as we came to a stop in front of him.

Edward turned to me. "What would you like?"

"Uhm..." I hummed, looking over the barista's shoulder to study the shelf of tea-tins, all labelled to reveal their content. "I'll have... a cup of Earl Grey, thanks."

"And I'll just have a coffee," Edward added as the barista nodded. Edward turned his head a little to the left, peeking at the rows of cookies, cupcakes and buns in the display cabinets. Just as the guy started turning away to get our orders, Edward spoke again. "Oh, and two of those huge cookies," he said, pointing to the baked goods in question.

The cookies were fucking massive – they must have been almost 5 inches across, baked to a golden perfection and speckled with chocolate chunks. I was so going to eat that.

Edward turned to me with raised eyebrows and a smile, his way of asking if I was okay with his choice. I smiled back, because of course I would be completely fine with getting a fuckawesomely huge chocolate chunk cookie. You'd be an idiot if you turned that down.

The guy slid two plates with our thick, chewy, possible-orgasm-in-your-mouth cookies across the counter before turning around to fix our drinks.

"Here," Edward said, taking the plates and handing them to me. "Why don't you take these and finds us a table, and I'll bring over the rest." He flashed his smile at me. "My treat."

I thought about arguing, of trying to insist on paying half, but something told me he would have none of it even if I tried, and I wasn't really up to fighting a fruitless battle. Also, I kinda didn't want to, because, hey – free cookie.

"Okay – thanks," I agreed softly, smiling genuinely at him.

After taking a seat at a corner table, next to the large window, I surreptitiously watched Edward where he stood at the counter. He looked so good in his dark grey suit, tailored to fit him perfectly; tapering in just a little at the waist, it accentuated the raw maleness of his figure, with his strong, broad shoulders, muscled back and lean hips. The jacket rose up as he once again dragged his hand through his hair, revealing the right side of his amazing ass.

My eyes followed the lines of his long legs, admiring the way he so sinuously shifted his weight from one foot to the next.

He was a perfect specimen of man, and he was here with _me_.

I silently gloated in that knowledge.

Edward carefully manoeuvred his way over to me with our beverages a minute later, smiling happily as he sat my mug down in front of me.

"Thank you," I said warmly, reaching out for the dainty chain hanging over the edge of my mug. I watched the infuser ball bob up and down in the amber liquid, releasing the delicious tastes from the leafs.

"Milk, right?" Edward asked, still standing. Without waiting for an answer, he walked over to a small table against the opposite wall, filling a small milk jug and bringing it over.

He sat down across from me and I just barely felt his knees brush against my own under the tiny table. I smiled secretly, loving the accidental touch.

"Don't tell my mom I brought you here, by the way," he said as he stirred his coffee. I frowned a little at him, batting away the feeling of nervous elation that arose as he mentioned meeting his mother.

"Why not?"

He looked up at me, surprise flitting over his face for a second before being replaced by understanding. "Oh, I thought I'd told you – my mom owns a bakery, and while she doesn't expect me to avoid any and all other coffee shops and shit, she insists on questioning me about what I thought of the place. You know, like how their coffee tasted, how many different cookies they had on display, what the service was like... it's just more hassle than it's worth. I've learned to just keep my mouth shut."

He chuckled at the end of his explanation, breaking off a piece of the ginenormous cookie in front of him.

"Wow, a bakery?" I asked, feeling impressed and just a hint of warmth in the pit of my stomach. I'd always loved baking, and if I hadn't gone into writing, I was pretty sure I would have wanted to open a café or something of my own. Having that in common with Edward's mother made me happy.

"Mmhm," he hummed as he threw the piece of cookie in his mouth and started chewing. He closed his eyes in bliss. "Oh fuck, that's amazing."

I laughed quietly, breaking off a piece for myself to taste. I groaned as it hit my tongue, the chewy crumbs spreading butter, sugar and a hint of vanilla in my mouth before giving way to chunks of melting chocolate, exploding all over my taste buds and making them quiver with pleasure.

Simply put, it was fucking fantastic.

"Holy shit," I breathed, ogling my cookie with sheer love. "That's... wow."

"Uh-huh," Edward agreed, a similar look of devotion in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm not telling my mom about that."

I continued asking him a bit about his mom's business, liking this new insight into his life. The warmth in his voice as he spoke about her told me what I already knew – Edward loved his family above all else, something I admired about him so much.

"Maddie must love that," I mused, "having a grandmother who bakes all day." I popped another piece of fuckawesome cookie in my mouth when I finished.

Edward's smile and the look in his eyes was quickly becoming familiar to me – it was a special expression that always appeared when Maddie was mentioned. My heart melted just a little at how apparent his love was for his daughter.

"She does – going over to grandma's place makes her absolutely ecstatic," he chuckled, sipping his coffee. Oddly enough, a strange frown appeared on his face, and he looked down at the table, tracing the lip of his cup with his finger.

He took a deep breath, and I was suddenly feeling a little worried. The jovial air around us changed so suddenly, becoming serious and a little heavy. I felt the slightly anxious expression on my face as Edward glanced up at me.

"Bella, I need to... talk to you, about Maddie," he stated, leaning a little closer over the table. I simply nodded, being unable to really speak around the knot of worry forming in my throat.

"It's nothing _bad_," he was quick to assure me when he took in the look on my face. "I just need to make sure we're on the same page here."

I nodded again, feeling slightly better that he claimed it wasn't anything bad. I didn't know what I would do if he... no, that would break my heart.

"I already told you about how Maddie is very private – she doesn't let a lot of people in, you know? She has us, her family, and she's quite content with that little bubble. I don't know if this has anything to do with not having her mother around, or if she just is like this naturally. It's not really important, either way. The important thing is that I... I want to-..."

He sighed heavily down his nose, studying my face intently. I tried to keep my expression appropriate for the conversation, but I wasn't sure if I was doing a good job of that. Unexpectedly, Edward slid his right hand across the table and grasped mine, squeezing gently. Surprise was undoubtedly colouring my face.

"With you, this thing between us?" he said, waiting until I, once again, nodded to acknowledge his words before continuing. "I want this to work. And if it does work, I want you to eventually be included in Maddie's little bubble. Because you can't have me without her."

"Of course," I whispered, clearing my throat in hopes of bringing more strength to my voice. "I know, Edward, and I-... I want that, too."

He smiled gently. "Good. At least we're on the same page about that then."

I chuckled under my breath. "Yeah, I guess we are." We smiled at each other for a few seconds before I spoke softly. "But I'm guessing there's more?"

He looked down with a wry grin, nodding. "Yeah, just a bit. It's just that... and I think you know this already, but I have to-... anyway, we have to do this a little differently than we might otherwise. We can't rush into things, we have to be smart about what we do." He glanced at me quickly before reverting his attention back to the tabletop. "You know why I haven't dated in five years. I couldn't keep bringing women into Maddie's life like that, only for them to disappear again, but with you... it's different.

"I think we can make this work, but to do that we have to be careful and take things slowly. I _want_ to introduce you into mine and Maddie's life, but that's going to mean some adjustments for her. It's a potential minefield, but I think we can make it across, as long as we're smart about it."

"I know," I said softly, smiling reassuringly when he glanced up at me again.

He exhaled slowly, an air of relief about the gesture. "You realise this means things like... sleepovers and late nights out can't happen very often, right? I already spend so little time with Maddie, and I don't want to cut that down even more. I want to be with you, but the time just you and I spend together will be less than it would be in a different relationship."

"I know, Edward. I get it, I really do. And I do believe that we can make it work." I turned my hand around, entwining our fingers slowly. His eyes settled on our clasped hands, and his gaze was soft and warm. "Look, I was just as old as Maddie is now when my dad started dating Sue. While our experiences aren't exactly the same, since I do still have faint memories of Renee, I do know what it felt like when my dad started bringing Sue around."

Edward's green eyes lifted to mine, listening attentively.

"I acted out – throwing fits, refusing to talk, screaming for no good reason – but Sue was patient with me. She slowly eased her way into our lives and showed me that she wasn't there to take my daddy away. Yes, it took some time, and yes, looking back I can only imagine how much work it must have been for my dad and her, but by the time Charlie proposed, Sue had become the mother I-... the mother I _should_ have had."

I squeezed his fingers lightly. "I'm not saying Maddie will see me that way, but in time I hope she'll at least accept me as a part of your lives. Doing this with you, going into this relationship... I know what it means. I understand what it all entails. It won't be easy and it won't be 'normal', but I barely know what a normal relationship is like anyway. We'll make it work."

My tone had a decisive finality and optimism about it, and I hoped Edward could hear how honestly I believed my own words. I had never been under the impression that getting involved with Edward would be a dance on roses all the time – having a child meant that his priorities were different, and he would always put her first.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Edward slowly caressed my skin with his thumb, a warm smile lighting up his handsome face. "We'll make it work," he repeated, nodding in agreement.

As our conversation gradually moved on to other subjects, there was always a small part of my mind that kept repeating one single fact: I was getting into a relationship with Edward. It kept a continuous smile on my face that just wouldn't go away.

A while later, Edward glanced down at his watch, a regretful frown furrowing his brow.

"You have to go?" I asked, smiling ruefully when he nodded.

"Yeah – I pushed back a few meetings to get a longer lunch today, but I have to get back soon."

"Okay," I sighed, releasing Edward's hand which I was still holding on to and getting up from my seat.

He lead me out to the car, once again placing his hand on my back, just above my ass. I almost wanted to melt right into him and beg him to take me home and throw me down on my bed where he would ravish me until I could barely walk, but I managed to contain the lusty minx inside me with a bit of effort.

I did my happy dance on the inside as he walked me all the way to my apartment, instead of just dropping me off outside. After sticking my key in the lock, I turned to him to say goodbye, slightly startled by how close he was suddenly standing.

"So, I want to take you out to dinner again. Saturday okay?" he asked softly, the intensity in his green eyes turning my brain to mush.

"Uh-huh," I breathed, unconsciously leaning into him as he stepped just a little bit closer. Our chests were almost touching now, and his amazing scent was encasing me – the pure smell of Edward. I surreptitiously breathed him in deeply.

"Friday would have been better, because Maddie's going to yet _another_ sleepover birthday party, but I have to take some important clients out and schmooze them," he continued in the same melted-ice-cream-and-caramel-sauce murmur of his. I gulped, suddenly realising that I was panting just a little bit.

"Saturday's... good," I managed to get out as I found myself staring at his lips. Fuck, I wanted to taste them again.

"I'll call you?" he almost whispered, leaning down until his lips were just brushing mine. His breath washed over me in rhythmic exhales and I shivered.

"Okay," I whispered pathetically before my body disconnected from my brain and took control over the situation; I rose up on my toes, melding my lips to his. My skin tingled pleasurably, and I may have whimpered.

Edward groaned softly down his nose, kissing me back. His fingers slid through my hair until his palm was cupping the back of my head and I pressed myself closer to the warmth of his body. Knowing in some small part of my mind that he needed to get to work, I fought hard with myself not to deepen the kiss too much. Placing a hand gently on his chest, my fingertips exerted a minimal amount of pressure to his skin.

I allowed myself the pleasure of sweeping my tongue over his bottom lip before slowly pulling back, savouring the taste and scent of him all around me. Edward hummed as I settled back down on my feet, his eyes remaining closed for a few seconds. When he opened them, I could see his excitement brimming in the green depths.

He slowly removed his hand from my hair, trailing it down my cheek affectionately.

"I had a great time today, Bella."

"Me too," I smiled, biting my lip out of pure habit.

"Talk to you soon, then," he said, starting to walk backwards down the hallway.

"Okay," I answered like a complete idiot. "Bye."

"Bye," he chuckled, turning around slowly as he made his way over to the elevator. I continued to watch him, admiring the movement of his body underneath his suit as he walked.

When he turned his head over his shoulder, waiting for the elevator to arrive, a smirk appeared as he saw me still standing there. I shrugged with a sly smile, feeling flirtatious enough to wink at him before making my way into my apartment.

After turning the deadbolt, I promptly collapsed back against my door, smiling from ear to ear. What a fan-fucking-tastic day it had been.

* * *

**I hope you will trust me with this relationship. Yes, it will be a little difficult for them, but I will try as hard as I can to not make it _annoyingly_ difficult. I hope the prospect isn't putting some of you off - I promise, I am a hard-core HEA girl, I am just trying to keep it realistic. **

**As before, leave a review and I'll send out a teaser when I have one ready. **

**You guys are awesome; thank you so much for reading this. **

**xxx**

**/Victoria**


	4. Do I make you horny?

**I have some things to say, because it feels like a lot of stuff has happened since the last chapter, but I'll leave all that for the end a/n. **

**You know why?**

**Because I want to leave you with just one message: **

**You guys are awesome. Ever. Single. One. Of. You. **

**Awesome. That is all. **

**As always, exceedingly large amounts of fluffy hearts and sloppy kisses to bouncy 72, for also being awesome and kind enough to pre-read this little shindig for me. I'm sorry I put the word "horny" in here so many times (not really) – I know how you feel about it ;)**

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter 4: Do I make you horny?**

EPOV

"Maddie?"

I watched as my daughter turned to look up at me. I sighed quietly at how close she was sitting to the TV, as usual choosing the floor over the couch.

"Can you help me set the table, please? Your dinner's almost ready," I told her, watching as a myriad of emotions crossed her face, annoyance being very prominent. She wasn't too happy with me at the moment, and I was apparently making it worse by interrupting her. A touch of guilt gnawed at me as she slowly scrambled up from the floor, stomping past me into the kitchen.

I sighed again. She had been like this ever since I told her Alice and Jasper were coming over later in the evening to watch her. Her eyes had been wide and worried as she asked me where I was going, and while the concept of going on a date was very foreign to her, she still understood that I was leaving her to spend time with Bella instead.

I wasn't really sure what I had been expecting; I knew she might be confused, perhaps even angry and sad. I had never done this before. Maddie understood what it meant when I had to work, she knew that sometimes I couldn't spend my evenings with her because of that. But she knew Bella, and she liked her a lot, and she couldn't understand why Bella just couldn't come over here and eat with us – she didn't understand why I had to go without her.

At her age, I knew it was difficult for her to understand other people's point of views, and as such this evening wasn't making sense to her. It wasn't going to be easy leaving later, knowing that she was upset with me.

I watched her silently as she got her cutlery out of the drawer, placing them down with great care. She barely looked at me as I handed her a plate, and the guilt continued to eat away at me. I knew I shouldn't feel guilty about going on a date with Bella, but my child was upset and confused – I couldn't feel anything but guilty.

Without a word she climbed up onto her chair, her back against me. I poured her a glass of milk before getting the dish of mac and cheese out of the oven.

Was I attempting to soften her up by making her favourite dish? Yes. Sue me.

I sat down to her right, watching her angry pout. She still refused to look at me, choosing instead to glare at her glass of milk. I sighed sadly and started dishing up her food as the tense silence almost grew unbearable.

She made no move to pick up her fork and eat. I waited for almost a whole minute before I crossed my arms in front of me on the table, leaning towards her.

"Maddie? Why are you upset with me?"

She only clenched her little jaw tightly, apparently refusing to answer. I took a deep breath as I realised that this might take a while.

"Honey, won't you tell me?"

She shook her head angrily. At least it was some sort of response.

"I'll be back later tonight, honey. I'm just going out to eat with Bella. Why does that upset you?"

She shifted in her seat, and I waited silently, hoping that she's start talking to me. I breathed a silent sigh of relief when she didn't remain silent.

"Why can't Bella come here? I don't want you to leave."

She acted her age as her statement was delivered in a selfish tone of voice. In her mind it probably looked as if I was choosing Bella over her – something she clearly didn't approve of.

"Bella and daddy are going out for a grown-up thing." This statement at least made her look at me, even though her eyes were filled with anger at my less than adequate answer. Apparently she didn't think 'grown-up thing' was enough of an explanation. I raked my hand through my hair as I tried to come up with a way to explain the concept of dating to her.

"Remember when auntie Alice and uncle Jasper got married last year?" I asked, waiting until she nodded before I continued. "Well, before they could get married, they needed to get to know each other. After they first met, when you were only a baby, they would go out for dinner or go to the movies, talking and learning stuff about each other. They were dating, which is something grown-ups do when they like each other."

She frowned, but more out of confusion than anger this time. It was clear that she was trying to come to grips with what I had just told her. I just hoped it made sense.

"When Bella came here for dinner with Jake, we realised that she and I... like each other. That's why we're going out, just her and me. I'm getting to know her."

Maddie looked down at her mac and cheese in contemplation for a little while. When she looked back up, her blue eyes were curious.

"Are you getting married with Bella?"

I balked a little at the question, but fought to keep my expression neutral. "Not right now, honey," I said, knowing that this was the easiest way of explaining it to her. Going into the intricacies of relationships and falling in love with someone wasn't really a conversation I wanted to have with a five-year old.

"Okay," she mumbled, finally picking up her fork and starting to eat. I watched her for a little while, hoping that she understood what was going on.

"Maddie?" I waited until she looked up at me again. "Daddy and Bella are going to be spending some time together from now on, just her and me. But you are my number one girl, okay? Even if I go out some nights, you're still the most important thing to me. You and me will still be doing stuff together all the time, but sometimes Bella might come with us. She might come over here and we'll all watch a movie, just us three, or she'll come with us when we go to the zoo or to the park."

She still looked a little confused by this change of events, and the sight of her like this tugged painfully at my heart. She was so used to how things had always been between us, and at her age it was important to stay consistent with things; she needed the stability of our home-life in order to cope with starting school and gaining new friends. It was going to be difficult for her to come to terms with what I was doing, with how I was all of a sudden shaking things up and acting out of character. I could only hope for the best, really.

"And she'll be with us sometimes because it's not just me that Bella is getting to know – I want her to know you too. Because you and me are a package deal, and we always will be."

I looked at her, smiling gently and just hoping she'd understand why this was happening. After a while, she nodded a little, chewing on her food.

"Will Jake be with us, too?"

I chuckled under my breath; of course she'd hone in on the most important question – the dog.

"I think so, yes."

This seemed to cheer her up a little, and after taking another moment to think things through, she nodded more decisively.

"Okay," she said lightly, straightening up in her chair and focusing all her attention on her food. I blinked, not daring to assume it was going to be that easy. At least her reaction gave me some hope that I would be able to leave without too much anxiety from her.

An hour later, when I had further buttered up my daughter with a small scoop of ice cream and plonked her on the couch, with 'The Little Mermaid' captivating all of her attention, I had managed to get ready for my date; I was just buttoning up my shirt when there was a knock at the door.

Alice let herself in, of course, and she was already seated next to Maddie when I came into the living room. Her legs were folded underneath her, her eyes wide and fascinated as she watched the huge, purple squid-lady thing get impaled by a ship. It was almost scary how similar she and my daughter looked at that very moment – their stances and facial expressions were identical.

"Hey," Jasper said from the door, where he was toeing off his shoes. He cast a glance at his wife, shaking his head with a chuckle.

"Hey, man, how are you?"

"Can't complain," he responded with an easy smile. "You about ready to leave?"

I couldn't help but throw a quick look at Maddie before answering with a sigh. "Yeah, I have to get going."

Jasper nodded sympathetically, seeming to understand my sense of gloom. I gave him a tight smile before walking over to the couch.

I gave Alice a quick kiss on the top of her head, laughing when she leaned around me to watch the movie.

"Is that how you greet your brother, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah, hi, you look great, have a good time, blah, blah, blah..." she answered distractedly, not even sparing me a glance. I playfully shoved her and quickly moved out of the way – I knew from experience to _always_ move out of the way after shoving, hitting, tickling or pinching Alice.

I grabbed the remote and paused the movie, rolling my eyes when both my sister and Maddie made identical noises of displeasure. I squatted down in front of my daughter, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

"Daddy's going to leave now, honey. I'll be back later tonight, and Alice and Jasper will be here the whole time, okay?"

I smiled at her, hoping it would ward off any possible tears or temper-tantrums. Despite my effort, she looked torn between getting angry, getting upset or remaining calm, her facial expressions vacillating between all three rapidly.

Alice, like the saint she always insisted she was, swooped in and saved the day, as it were. She leaned in close to Maddie and stage whispered in her ear.

"I brought the secret face-paint – when uncle Jazz falls asleep, wanna paint his face again?"

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing, fighting the urge to look over at my brother-in-law. I had come home one night from a late business meeting a year ago to find Alice and Maddie giggling helplessly at Jasper, who lay sleeping on the couch with hearts, flowers and suns painted on his face.

It was the equivalent of waking up after a heavy night of drinking, only to find a huge dick drawn on your forehead with a Sharpie. Only it was his wife and four year old niece who were the culprits.

Since then Jasper would occasionally trade in his dignity for the sake of Maddie's enjoyment, and he would allow the two of them to use him as a human canvas while he pretended to sleep.

Apparently the prospect of perfecting her skills with a paintbrush cheered Maddie up significantly. Her eyes turned wide as she looked at Alice, her smile so big I swore I could see all of her teeth.

"Okay," she whispered loudly, nodding like a bobble-head doll.

I gave Alice a grateful smile to which she winked subtly. I gently poked Maddie in the stomach to get her attention, chuckling as she started giggling.

"I'll see you in the morning, honey. You'll be asleep when I get home," I said, holding out my arms for a hug. She fell into me, wrapping her tiny arms around my neck tightly.

"Bye, daddy," she mumbled quietly.

"Sleep tight, honey. I love you," I murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head before releasing her. I inwardly panicked when I pulled back and saw her face – her bottom lip was trembling ever so slightly and her tiny little brow was furrowed as she struggled not to cry. Her expression wrenched at my heart, but just as I opened my mouth to say god knows what, she and I both jumped a little when the blaring noise of the TV suddenly started up behind me.

I looked over to Alice in shock, but she only smirked as she placed the remote back on the table; she inclined her head ever so slightly to my daughter. I slowly turned back to look at her, feeling instant relief when I saw that the movie had once again captured all of her attention – the on-the-brink-of-tears-expression had vanished completely, leaving only a deeply fascinated little girl.

"Thank you," I mouthed silently to Alice, rising to my feet slowly as I left my daughter in her capable hands.

Five minutes later, I was on my way to Bella's apartment, still slightly stunned about the fact that we had successfully avoided a breakdown on Maddie's part. I'd have to think of something really good to get Alice as a thank-you.

I rolled my shoulders and let the issue slowly fall to the back of my mind – I wanted to be able to focus on Bella tonight, on making sure we both had a good time. It wouldn't do me any good to continue to worry about Maddie right now, especially not when she was most likely completely fine without me.

I pulled to a stop outside Bella's building, feeling my excitement grow. An unconscious smile spread on my face as I looked up, once again trying to spot her apartment. I knew that it had only been just over 3 days since I last saw her, but for some reason it felt like longer than that. Time seemed to have dragged by much slower than usual.

Of course, that could have something to do with the fact that up until last week, I hadn't had sex in five years and I was just being unreasonably horny right now, but who knows.

My fingers were tapping restlessly against my thigh as I rode the elevator up to her floor, and my feet carried me uncommonly fast to her door once I stepped out of the steel box. After knocking I dragged my hand quickly through my hair, telling myself to calm down just a fucking tad.

I inhaled sharply as Bella opened the door, looking stunningly beautiful in a very tight dress. Like, _very_ tight. Like so fucking tight I could see every curve of her amazingly sexy body. My gaze raked over her, all the way down to her fuckhot heels. I swallowed down a whimper, suddenly not really very interested in going out to dinner anymore. I just wanted to grab her and pull her back into her apartment, where I could rip off that tantalising little dress of hers and bury myself in her tight, hot, wet pus-...

"Hi," she smiled, interrupting my horndog-ramblings.

"Hi," I answered automatically before my brain caught up with my surroundings again. I started slightly as I stopped thinking with my dick. "Wow, you look... beautiful," I breathed, instantly being rewarded with faint blush of pleasure blooming in her cheeks.

"Thanks," she said softly. Her eyes darted back and forth between my face and chest, and I couldn't help but notice the appreciative twinkle in her gaze. I smirked – on the inside – and felt extremely self-satisfied.

In a stroke of pure genius, I stepped closer to her. Her eyes widened just a little as I bent down, and from the corner of my own eye I could just see her lips parting in an inaudible gasp as I kissed her cheek softly.

Fuck, she smelled so good.

She inhaled shakily as I pulled away, meeting my eyes slowly. All I could see was her; the deep brown of her eyes, the silky cream of her skin, the blushing roses on her cheeks. A quivering ball of emotions rose in my chest, urging me to touch her, take her, grab her – to pull her to me and allow myself the pleasure of getting completely lost in every detail of her. I wanted to taste her skin, drown in her scent and revel in the sight of her kiss-swollen lips trembling around my name as I made her come.

I just... _wanted_. I _wanted_ her. So much it almost fucking hurt. The quivering ball in my chest demanded action, conjuring up alluring reminders of exactly how it felt to have her, warm and willing, under my hands, and it took everything in me not to act on my instincts. It was really fucking difficult, because since meeting Bella the horny motherfucker in me had been even more insistent than he usually was.

It was like now that he had finally gotten a taste of the sweet heaven that Bella was, he was intent on not making me forget a single second of our night together. Perhaps he feared that if he didn't remind me of his presence _all the fucking time_, I might make him wait another five years until he got some again.

A crackling strand of tension shook between us, reminiscent of what I had felt with her on the pier – not quite as strong, but it definitely had potential to become so. I wasn't sure if I should consider myself lucky for that or not. I knew that if I were to feel _that kind_ of sexual tension with her at this very moment, there was nothing on this earth that could make me step back from her. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would step closer, slam her door shut and take her right there on the floor.

As I said, I can't be sure if I could consider myself lucky or not.

I don't know how many seconds passed as Bella and I simply looked at each other, there in her doorway. I was barely aware of the outside world as my eyes drank her in. She just dragged these reactions out of me – there was something so alluring about her that I just couldn't resist. Only the basest corner of my mind registered that my pants were become tight, since my dick was growing harder by the second. My inner horny motherfucker rejoiced.

She was the first one to look away. A quick blink hid her beautiful brown eyes from me for the split second necessary to break me out of my spell. She looked down, a wondrous smile on her lips as I took a deep breath, feeling slightly out of place all of a sudden. I didn't like the real world; I wanted to just be in Bella's at the moment.

But, of course, the real world is never far away from the things we really want.

"Should we, uh... get going?" Bella asked quietly, raising her eyes to meet mine again. I swallowed hard, trying to forcefully shove down the smouldering need I had for her until a more appropriate time.

And oh, yes, there _would_ be a more appropriate time.

"Of course," I said smoothly, smiling at her as I, regretfully, took a step back so that she could exit her apartment.

I bit back a moan as I saw her dress from the back. It was fairly simple in and of itself; a creamy white knit-thing, coming to just above her knees, it seemed fairly conservative from afar. But up close it was a whole different ball-game. The dress fit her perfectly, caressing every curve, highlighting every dip. The deep v-neck would taunt me all evening, I knew. It was one of those dresses that sat almost skin-tight until right below the woman's ass, showing it off at its best.

The pattern in the knit was just... tantalising. Especially the slightly more flowy bit under her ass – the holes were bigger, showcasing tiny hints of her pale, smooth skin, making me want to reach out and stick my finger through the threads.

Shit, the dress did fuck-all to help with the hard-on I feared I might sport during the entire evening.

As was quickly becoming customary, I placed my hand on her lower back as we walked down the hall – it was like I couldn't fucking stop myself from touching her in one way or the other.

"How've you been?"

She smirked. "You mean since you called me at 10 pm last night, for the third time since Wednesday, just to ask me what I was doing?"

I smiled sheepishly, choosing to look down at the floor rather than at her smirk.

She laughed at my expression, pressing the button for the elevator. "I'm doing good – after your call last night I got an insane burst of creativeness, and I stayed up writing until like... four in the morning?"

I stared at her. "Four in the morning? How can you even function that late?"

She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "I've always been a night-person – it takes me like 12 hours to fully wake up, I shit you not. I write best at night."

I nodded slowly before launching into a conversation about her writing habits. I perhaps found it a lot more interesting than I normally would have, just because it was _Bella's_ writing habits, specifically.

Also, I may or may not have been trying to figure out how often she might get up in the middle of the night to work on her book, leaving me alone in bed. Because, yes, at some point I was determined to share a bed with her on a regular basis. It would most likely be a while before that was feasible, but I'm both stubborn and persistent.

Not to mention horny. Always horny.

We arrived at the restaurant a while later and as predicted, I couldn't seem to get my head out of the gutter. Just being around Bella was seriously affecting me. Every few seconds my mind would taunt me with images of last Saturday – a quick flash of her hand clenching my sheets, an echo of her quiet moans ringing in my ears, a phantom-touch teasing my skin... I just couldn't stop thinking about it.

Have I mentioned it's been five years since I last had sex?

As we sat down at our table, looked at the menus and ordered our food, half my mind was focused on our conversation and our surroundings while the other half was busy imagining all the ways in which I wanted to pleasure Bella repeatedly. I'm a little embarrassed to say that the dirty part of my mind was quickly gaining more and more of my attention.

"So who's looking after Maddie tonight?" Bella asked towards the end of our meal, taking a sip of her wine.

"Alice and Jazz. My sister brought face paint, which I am sure will keep her and Maddie very occupied. It's always fun to come home to a brother-in-law who has the words 'I have cooties' written across his forehead in hot pink."

Bella snorted with laughter. "Please tell me you have pictures of that."

I smirked. "Of that and many other masterpieces."

"You'll have to show me sometime," she giggled, perhaps unconsciously leaning a little closer to me over the table. Surprisingly, I found myself doing the same thing. As I looked into the deep brown of her eyes, I couldn't stop my next question from being controlled by the dirty part of my mind.

"What will I get out of it?" I asked, my voice becoming a little darker and full of innuendo. Bella's happy smile slowly melted away, replaced by a slightly dazed look as she stared at my mouth. Her lips parted ever so slightly as her breathing picked up.

"Well, that depends," she answered, her voice quiet and breathy. I was pretty sure she blushed a little too.

"On?" I asked in the same deep voice, studying her face intently. Fuck, she was so goddamn beautiful.

"What you want..." She trailed off suggestively, meeting my gaze and holding me a willing prisoner with her eyes.

The crackle of tension shivered between us again and my need to reach out and touch her rose to astronomical height. With what can only be a huge compliment to my self-restraint, I managed to keep my hands to myself – however, I couldn't stop myself from leaning just a little bit closer, putting myself just a little bit nearer to her. I watched with fascination as Bella's chest rose and fell with increasingly laboured breaths.

I was also watching her boobs, but that's really beside the point.

This was turning into a very interesting evening. I already knew that the attraction between Bella and I was extremely fucking hot, thanks to the night we spent together last week, but it was still quite astonishing to experience it now – we weren't even touching and I still felt a burning desire to just _have her_. It was a little bit primal and a whole lot of basic urges and needs. I was pretty sure my testosterone levels were at an all-time high.

"What do you want, Edward?" Bella asked quietly, but intently, as if she truly did want to know the answer. I watched as her tongue peeked out to wet her lips.

"At the moment I really want to kiss you..." I said truthfully, unable to tear my eyes away from her mouth.

Her lips trembled around a silent moan and a stab of pure lust shot through me, taking up residence in my dick, now hard and throbbing.

_Jesus, this woman was going to be the death of me_.

"And after I've kissed you," I continued in a low and quiet voice, "there are quite a few other things I'd like to try..."

The bright blush that appeared on her cheeks inflamed me; I inhaled sharply as I watched the colour spreading so fantastically across her creamy skin, only adding to my desire for her.

Bella swallowed hard before taking a fortifying gulp of her wine. She met my eyes determinedly, a delicious fire burning behind her brown depths.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the waiter coming to collect our plates. Bella spared him a quick glance before returning her eyes to me. I felt a hint of a smirk tugging at my lips.

"Can I get you the dessert menu?" the waiter asked – it didn't escape my notice that the question was mostly directed at the deep v-neck of Bella's dress. I glared at him in a way I was sure could be described as 'murderous'.

"Uhm..." Bella hesitated, quirking a sassy eyebrow at me. I pursed my lips in contemplation as I studied her face; I knew exactly what _I_ wanted to do and I was simply trying to determine if she wanted the same thing.

Her smirk followed by her teeth sinking into her bottom lip pretty much told me all I needed to know. Her foot subtly nudging my own before sliding up my calf definitely sealed the deal.

"No, thank you – we'll just have the check," I told Ogle Douche without so much as looking at him. Bella had to look down to hide her wide smirk.

She looked up at me through her lashes when Ogle Douche left, her sexy smile still in place.

"You know... I have ice-cream at home; I wouldn't mind a little... _dessert_," she said suggestively. I do believe my dick twitched rather violently. It didn't really help when Bella's foot slowly slid a little higher up my leg either.

"I could go for some ice-cream," I said in what was supposed to be an even, calm voice, but was actually a dark and gravelly rendition instead.

Our drive to Bella's apartment was silent, the car filled with a expectations and quivering emotions. I was pretty sure I knew what we were going to do, and I was fairly certain no actual ice-cream would be involved. Although, we'd have to try that sometime.

We were almost at her building when I threw a quick glance at the time. An unfamiliar feeling went through me when I noticed that it was just about Maddie's bedtime. I was used to feeling a little guilty whenever I wasn't there to tuck her in, but now... Well, this was different, because _technically_ I had chosen not to be there.

Every other time I had missed bedtime for my daughter was because I couldn't do anything about it. It would be a late business meeting, a dinner with clients, a business trip – work, work, work. It was always work that kept me away – I _had_ to miss bedtime because I didn't have a choice.

Tonight, I had made the choice to go out with Bella. I didn't feel guilty or bad about that – I knew just as well as anyone that I deserved this; a little down-time with the woman I really liked wasn't something I could ever feel guilty about.

Despite that, I _still_ felt guilty, as asinine as that was. Not because of being out with Bella, but just over the simple fact that I wasn't there for Maddie. Bedtime was a big deal for us and it always had been. During the weekdays, we really didn't spend as much time together as I would have liked. When we eventually got home around 5.30, I had to fix dinner and take care of the dishes and maybe do the laundry or any other task that took up my time. I made sure Maddie took her bath, and then it was basically time for bed.

Every night, I would read to her from her book of choice. Without fail, she would fall asleep nestled into my side, and I would quietly slip out of the bed and tuck her in. Bedtime was _our_ time, and I hated missing it.

I glanced over at Bella, her face tilted away from me as she looked out the window. It was a strange tug-o-war of emotions in me – it was weird how I could simultaneously feel bad about the situation for Maddie's sake and _not_ feel bad about it for mine and Bella's sake. I wished I could be in two places at once; then maybe the warring sides of me could settle down a little.

I looked at the time again, wondering what story Maddie wanted her aunt and uncle to read for her. Would it be _Alice in Wonderland_, or would she keep that one between the two of us? A smile tugged at my lips as I thought of the story I had read countless times to her ever since we took her home from the hospital.

I unconsciously shifted my right shoulder, a gesture I had picked up whenever I thought of that story, the tattoo it had inspired and what it meant for me and my daughter.

Bella's voice startled me out of my musings. "Hey... you okay?"

I looked over at her in surprise, taking in her concerned brown eyes and furrowed brow.

Guess my internal tug-o-war was a bit more noticeable that I had thought.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just... thinking."

"About?" she prompted gently just as I pulled up in front of her building. I sighed softly, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Not a lot, really. Just having a 'worried-dad' moment." I chuckled with a shake of my head.

"Oh." Bella's eyebrows rose a little. "What are you worried about?"

It astonished me a little that she would ask about it; I had a feeling most women wanted to avoid that kind of talk while out on a date. But then again, Bella wasn't like most women.

"Maybe worried is a bit too strong a word. More like... well, no – yeah, I'm a little worried about how's she doing. It was a little difficult for her to come to grips with why I was going out tonight. She was fine by the time I left, but... I don't know, it's just her bedtime now and I-..."

I exhaled strongly, looking at her with an apologetic smile – I couldn't really articulate what I was feeling without risking offending Bella. I didn't want her to think I didn't want to be here, because I did. I just wanted to be with my daughter too.

"Okay," Bella said simply, smiling reassuringly at me. "I think that's normal though, Edward. I mean hell, I was worried about how Jake was doing all alone while I was digging into my appetizer. It's not the same, I know, but..." She shrugged with a small giggle.

I blinked, feeling wondrous astonishment that she seemed to just understand my internal battle and accept it without question. Fuck, the more time I spent with her, the more convinced I became that she was no less than perfect.

"So..." She gazed at me with a questioning look before tilting her head towards her building. "You want some ice-cream or what?"

I smirked. "Absolutely."

Bella looked away with a soft chuckle, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car.

I met her at the steps to her building, reaching out and taking her hand on a whim. A warm tingling of awareness spread over the palm of my hand just from touching her so innocently. She looked down at our clasped hands almost in surprise before rewarding me with one of her beautiful smiles.

She lead me through the empty hall to the elevators, standing close to me as we waited for it to arrive. I turned my head to look at her silently, breathing in the faint scent of vanilla that rose from her hair. She looked up at me with a slow smile, as if she simply wanted to take me in without words.

When the elevator doors opened, her smile spread wider. She tugged me forward with her, her infectious smile and light mood rubbing off on me. She pressed the button for her floor before returning to my side, pressing herself into me.

I squeezed her hand gently, leaning my head down a little towards her. With a content sigh, she rested her head on my shoulder. A tender feeling fluttered in my chest as I took in the sight and smell of her so close to me.

We slowly made our way to her apartment once we stepped out on her floor. She didn't let go of my hand until she had to dig her keys out of her purse.

She turned to me after fishing them out. "Just so you know, Jake might be a bit... overzealous for a while. He'll just be happy I'm home, but he usually settles down after a few minutes."

I nodded in understanding. "That's okay."

She grinned at me quickly before unlocking her door. I chuckled in surprise as I immediately heard tiny little paws bounding closer, the puppy's claws clicking against the floor. An unmistakeably happy yap vibrated through the wood, and Bella giggled.

"Hey, buddy!" she called as she cracked the door open. Jake started barking as soon as he saw her, and she ushered me quickly over the threshold. She threw her purse and keys onto a small side-table as I closed the door behind us.

I stepped back as she bent down and greeted the puppy happily. He jumped at her, making her laugh beautifully as he tried to lick her face.

I was fairly grateful that she turned her face away from him – I had plans to kiss those lips of her, and I'd rather not come in contact with residual dog-drool while doing so.

"Who's a good puppy, huh? Who's the best puppy in the world?" she cooed at him, scratching him vigorously behind his ears. His tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth, and he just radiated pleasure at the attention she was giving him.

I looked around a little while she attempted to calm the dog down. I realised I had never actually been _inside_ her apartment before. I could see her bedroom at the end of the hall we were standing in, and right in front of me was the doorway into the living room. It was all very warm and cosy, little trinkets and vases and pictures dotting the place with personality.

It was very... Bella. I smiled at the description my mind came up with.

Eventually Bella rose from her crouch, turning to me as Jake waddle away into the living room.

"Sorry about that," she laughed, tucking some hair behind her ear. I stepped a little closer to her and she inhaled quickly, her eyes trained on mine. "Ca-can I get you anything?" she asked, trying to sound casual but failing due to how breathless her voice was.

I smirked slowly, taking another step closer. Our chests touched as I shook my head. Bella's eyelids fluttered a little.

I raised a hand and gently brushed my fingers over her cheek, trailing them through her hair and over her shoulder, down her spine. I splayed my hand across her back, pressing her closer. Her breath caught and she looked up at me through her lashes.

I didn't waste another second. My breath left me in a soft sigh as I pressed my lips to hers. Bella's hands immediately took hold of my upper arms, squeezing gently. She kissed me back tenderly, the soft curves of her lips moving with mine. She hummed pleasurably, egging me on.

I tried to keep the kiss somewhat soft and gentle, to go with the mood that had settled over us since we arrived here, but soon the horny motherfucker in me started battling his way to the surface. I had wanted to kiss her and hold her this close ever since she opened the door for me earlier. I didn't have the patience and self-restraint to keep our kiss chaste and safe, nor was I particularly inclined to the idea either.

It seemed as if Bella was perhaps thinking along the same lines as myself – her grip on me tightened as her kisses gradually turned harder and faster, and I thought nothing of following her lead. I pressed her even closer, opening my mouth with a small groan. My tongue slid against her lips which parted only a second later. She whimpered softly as our tongues met and I swallowed the sound greedily.

My dick, which had taken a small respite from its hard-and-throbbing act during the drive, responded immediately – I grunted with both pain and pleasure as it pressed against the zipper of my pants. Bella gasped as I ground against her, clutching at me desperately as her nails dug into my skin through the fabric of my clothes. Her reaction only added fuel to the fire inside me, and the lust boiled over violently.

With a deep groan, I grabbed her more tightly against me as I kissed her harder, kissed her urgently. I pushed, she pulled; I thrust, she dragged. We stumbled, tripped and bumped around aimlessly, fighting frantically to always just get _closer_, until suddenly she slammed into a wall. We both gasped but our kiss didn't break. My hands roamed over her body, grasping at her hips and clutching her ass. Her hands found their way into my hair, pulling me harder against her.

My lungs were screaming for air, but I didn't want to stop kissing her; I couldn't and I wouldn't. I wanted her too much – her taste, her smell, her soft body moving against my own, and all the amazing sounds she was making. Air wasn't that important.

Our movements were frantic and desperate, our hands moving and sliding across one another relentlessly. I don't think I had ever wanted someone as badly as I wanted Bella in that very moment. Every cell, every nerve screamed out for her – the electric awareness that crackled over my skin in the wake of her touch, the sweet taste of her lips against my own, the whimpering moans rising from her throat as I pressed my hips against her... all of it was driving me insane.

Much to my annoyance, Bella broke away from our kiss, gulping down air as if her life depended on it – which I guess it technically did, but I was too far into Hornytown to care about such trivialities. She didn't give me a chance to reclaim her lips though, since her mouth almost immediately attached itself to my throat.

I groaned loudly at the feel of her soft, warm lips pressing against my skin, her wet tongue drawing paths that made me shiver in pleasure. I took the opportunity to gulp down a few lungfuls of oxygen myself, hissing as Bella's teeth scraped against the skin under my ear.

Her hands found their way to the front of my shirt as her mouth closed around my earlobe. It was really hard to think when she started sucking on it while frantically popping button after button, but I somehow managed to place a hand against her cheek.

I angled her face away from me, leaning my forehead against hers as I struggled to breathe evenly. My other hand continued to rhythmically squeeze and release her hip as our exhales mingled in the space between us.

"I can't stay..." I said quietly, needing to make sure she understood this. I wouldn't be happy about leaving her later, but I couldn't stay the night – not this time. If she'd rather we didn't go any farther now, knowing I would have to leave soon, it was pretty fucking imperative that we agreed on that _now_, before my internal horny motherfucker took over completely. "I can't stay the night."

Bella's breathless answer whispered gently over my face. "I know," she responded, her voice sounding simultaneously lusty and regretful.

"If you'd... rather we _didn't_ do thi-"

I was pretty fucking ecstatic that she shut me up by kissing me right then, because it almost fucking physically hurt to try to get that sentence out. I kissed her back enthusiastically, groaning as she arched her back, pressing herself close to me.

"Bedroom?" I gasped into her open mouth, fisting the fabric of her dress as she snaked her hand through my hair.

She moaned in response to my question, pushing away from the wall so suddenly that I almost lost my balance. We laughed against each other's mouths as we fought not to topple over; lucky we managed to stay upright and tightly entangled. We bumped and stumbled our way down the hall, Bella leading the way to her room.

I dimly registered the dull thump of her shoes hitting the wall, only realising she kicked them off when she dropped quite significantly in height. I leaned down closer to her, wrapping my arms tightly around her waist to keep our kiss going.

We were still laughing choppily as I slammed against the door to her bedroom, making it swing wide open. Bella pushed me backwards quickly and with a strength I didn't know her small frame had, until the backs of my knees encountered her bed.

I managed to stay upright, mostly from the need to _not_ be parted from her lips. I sucked her tongue into my mouth as Bella continued with her earlier mission of ridding me of my shirt. She quickly exposed my chest, placing her warm hands against my stomach and sliding them upwards impatiently. I gasped at the feel of her touch on my naked skin, shivering as she pushed my shirt off my shoulders.

Before it had even dropped to the floor, she was going to town on my belt, wrenching it open with nimble fingers. A deep groan reverberated in me as her fingers brushed quickly over my cock, now almost painfully hard and needy. He was never above begging for attention.

As Bella deftly unzipped my pants I broke our kiss in favour of sucking on her neck a little. Her natural scent was so strong across the skin of her throat and I inhaled greedily.

"Oh, fuck," I hissed as she stuck her hand down my pants, immediately grabbing my erection. My knees nearly buckled at the intense shot of pleasure zapping through my entire body. I couldn't keep quiet as she started rubbing me determinedly, and I was panting hard against her skin. "Bella...!"

My lips and tongue moved more and more haphazardly over her throat – it was a little harder to concentrate on such things when someone stuck their hand down your pants. When Bella's free fingers fisted in my hair and pulled my head back, I relented easily, a deep moan escaping me as she squeezed my dick tightly.

"Oh, god Bella, yes..."

"You feel so good in my hand, Edward," she moaned quietly and I gasped as her words caused another shot of lust to centre in my groin. Damn, she was so fucking sexy.

All too soon, she released me in favour of tugging my pants and underwear down my legs. I struggled to kick off my shoes before stepping out of the puddle of clothes around my feet, but soon I was standing completely naked in front of her.

I noticed with heavy disapproval that she was still completely dressed.

I grabbed her hips firmly as I sat down on the bed, pulling her a little closer. Her hands settled on my shoulders, squeezing gently as I leaned forward. I nuzzled her cleavage affectionately as my hands slid along the curves of her legs, searching for the hem of her dress.

Her gasp was quickly followed by a low moan as my fingers trailed along the skin of her thighs, pushing her dress upwards slowly. Her hands met mine after I pushed it past her waist, helping me pull it all the way off. I was left with the sight of Bella in creamy white lingerie.

I'm not ashamed to say that I gaped.

I then proceeded to choke on a groan as Bella reached behind her and unclasped her bra, flinging it across the room carelessly. My hands found themselves travelling up her sides quite of their own accord until I was cupping her breasts gently. Her head fell back with a sigh of pleasure as I brushed my thumbs over her nipples, watching them rise and harden just a little bit more. I leaned in again and took the left one between my lips, flicking my tongue against the sensitive peak.

Bella gasped sharply, just as her fingers dug into my shoulders. She started breathing heavily as I paid tribute to her lovely breasts; every sigh, moan and groan that left her lips went straight to my eager cock, enticing it even further.

"Edward... oh, fuck," she whispered as I trailed my hand across her stomach, stopping at the edge of her lace-panties. I traced the line with my finger, enjoying the tiny trembles that went through her as I did so.

While trailing kisses between the slopes of her chest, I carefully hooked my fingers around the delicate lace and slowly pulled them down her legs. With a determination I didn't know I had, I ignored the hard and throbbing organ between my hips in favour of pleasuring the beautiful creature in front of me.

She gasped my name as I teased her nipple with my tongue, while my fingers quickly travelled back up her thighs. As my thumb gently brushed the juncture between her legs, Bella's entire body jerked sharply towards me.

"_Oh, god _– please..." she moaned, her hips moving in tiny circles as she arched her back, pressing her chest harder into my face. I took that as a hint and closed my lips around her nipple, sucking on it slowly. She seemed to approve, since she shoved her hands into my hair and groaned breathlessly when I did so.

I growled deeply against her breast as I slid my fingers along the slick wetness of her pussy, following it with a hiss of pain and pleasure – Bella fisted my hair tightly in reaction, a trembling whimper leaving her. It was a sound that I vowed to make her repeat many, many times.

Watching Bella writhe and sinuously bow her body, listening to her gasp for breath, moan my name and hiss obscenity after obscenity... just taking her in as I rubbed her clit was one of the most amazing things I had ever experienced. I continued to lavish her chest with attention as I moved my thumb faster and faster over her clit, until Bella forcefully tilted my head back so she could kiss me.

She whimpered into my mouth as she moved her hips in the disjointed rhythm of her lust, her panting breaths double the speed of my own. She cried out passionately when I twisted my hand around so that I cupped her, her warmth radiating into my palm, before I teased her entrance with my fingers.

She bit down on my bottom lip desperately, an urgent moan muffled between us. Taking mercy on her, I slowly pushed two fingers into her wet heat, groaning at the feel of her encasing me. I was sorely tempted to grab my dick with my free hand, just to get some relief – I knew what it felt like to literally be balls deep in her, and the memory was so strong it stopped my breath in my throat.

Bella's legs shook as I moved my fingers in and out of her, the length of my thumb sliding across her clit again and again.

"Jesus Christ, Edward! Oh, _fuck, fuck, fuck_... yes, yes!" She arched her back deeply and placed almost all her weight on her arms – with her hands on my shoulders, she nearly pressed me back onto the bed. I wrapped my left arm around her waist as I leaned in and nibbled on the skin of her throat. I loved feeling the vibrations of her moans against my lips.

Bella suddenly grabbed my face and angled it towards her, seconds before crashing her lips against mine. She mumbled her next plea into my mouth, her voice merely a hoarse whisper.

"Edward, I need you inside me, _please_..."

She pushed on my shoulders, urging me to move back on the bed with small whimpers and moans. Her words sent the horny motherfucker inside me into a complete caveman-state. I removed my fingers from her and grabbed her roughly around the waist, dragging her with me as I moved across the bedspread. Our legs were a tangled mess when my head finally encountered some goddamn pillows.

Without wasting any time, Bella quickly got her bearings and rose above me on her hands and knees. We were panting like mad and I could see her rapid pulse moving under the delicate skin on her neck.

"Jesus, Bella," I grunted as she straddled me sinuously, feeling the bed shift subtly under me as she moved. Almost on instinct, I grabbed her hips as she settled herself over my aching dick. A drawn-out groan ripped from me as her wetness slid across the head, sending shivers of pure pleasure and bliss violently through my nerves.

Without uttering a single word, she took me in her hand and guided me into her slick heat. All my muscles strained as she lowered herself onto me; it was just so fucking _warm_ – the soft, wet, heat that engulfed me was a feeling I would never grow tired of, especially not with Bella.

"_Ooh, god_..." she pressed out between clenched teeth as she sank down on me, her chest heaving as labouredly as mine. Simultaneous trembles went through us both when she'd taken as much of me as she could, and we paused for a few seconds in complete awe – the feelings and sensations exploding all over me was stunning me into immobility.

Our eyes met silently, and Bella slowly leaned forward, placing her hands on either side of my head. A tiny flex of her hips followed, and I exhaled as she breathed in. I slid my hands up and down her thighs as she began to move, her pace steadily increasing.

She leaned down and kissed me, our parted lips grazing and moving together as we gasped for air. Bella moaned into my mouth, and the sound made my stomach clench with desire. I started meeting her movements, thrusting up and guiding her with my hands on her hips.

My body seemed to be screaming '_finally!_' as we quickly found a rhythm. All this bent up sexual tension... I was more than ready for this moment with Bella.

"_Ah_, holy shit...! You feel so good, Edward," she groaned, making me growl in response. I loved hearing her like this, fighting to get the words out as she both took pleasure from me and gave it back just as freely.

"I've wanted-... ever since... _oh, fuck_... last week-... you're just-... _so good, _shit," she rambled breathlessly, moving faster and harder under my hands. She ducked her head and sank her teeth into my neck for a single bite before wrenching herself up, throwing her head back as her weight settled her down on my cock – I whimpered out a groan as I sank even deeper into her.

I watched the gorgeous woman currently riding me with wide-eyed amazement. She looked fucking glorious with her dark hair swinging from her movements, her simple earrings catching random glints of light, her lips parted as she panted for breath and her amazing tits basically hypnotising me.

One of her hands descended on my own, currently gripping her hip, while her other hand closed around her breast – the sight prompted a particularly enthusiastic thrust from me, making Bella gasp before something near a growl rang out from her.

She lowered her head down to look at me, our gazes holding each other steady. I could see in her eyes how quickly all of this was affecting her; she was moving faster and harder with every passing second, a tint of desperation and urgency shining through in the set of her muscles.

Seeing how close she was I immediately moved my hand from her hip, sliding it down so my thumb could rub her clit. Bella's loud scream told me that that was a very smart decision. I set a quick pace with my thumb and did my best to thrust harder into her. The friction between our bodies felt so fucking amazing, and I regretfully accepted that our little tryst would soon come to an end.

"Oh, Edward – please, yes! Oh, god, don't stop... don't-..." Bella's moans spurred me on even more, and I started grunting in time with my movements. I could feel a small line of sweat forming on my brow, but it only gave me an odd sense of satisfaction. That sort of physical proof showed that I was most definitely enjoying this.

Bella's moans and sighs were becoming an almost unrelenting stream of noise, signalling that her orgasm was indeed fast approaching. I could feel her pussy clenching around me and my eyes closed for a few seconds at the sensation.

"Bella..." I gasped, "look at me."

Her eyes flew open and focused on mine as moans continued to fall from her luscious lips.

"You're going to... come for me... aren't you, Bella?" I grunted breathlessly, circling her clit harder and faster.

She nodded her head frantically while a drawn-out whimper left her. She was practically slamming herself down on me now and I could feel my own climax building steadily.

"You're going to... come for me... _now_, aren't you?" I growled, and immediately her legs started shaking; I could see the muscles in her stomach clenching violently.

"Yes, yes, _yes, yes_... oh, fuck, _yes_! YES!"

She cried out incoherently, slamming herself down on me as her orgasm crashed through her body. The walls of her pussy clamped down around my cock with an amazing strength, the rhythmic contractions coaxing my own finish even closer.

Just a little bit more, and I would be losing myself in oblivious for a few blissful seconds.

Bella's rigid and trembling body suddenly went slack as she rode out her orgasm, her ecstatic cry turning into whimpering pants as she struggled for air. Her movements slowed down as she sagged, and I desperately grabbed her with both hands.

"Fuck, don't stop... _please_!" I groaned, moving her hips at the pace I needed. I was so fucking close now. Bella's eyes met mine as I pumped her with a rippling urgency and she gave a wordless nod as she gasped for breath. She immediately fell into the rhythm I set, and within seconds I could feel the unstoppable force of my climax tightening in my balls.

"_Ungh! Bella_, yes – oh, shit, fuck, _yes_...!" I grunted and suddenly mind-blowing pleasure exploded inside me. My release surged out of me with an amazing intensity that made me cry out as my back arched off the bed. The cry transformed into a deep growl within seconds as I emptied myself inside her, every muscle in my body tensing and relaxing in trembling spasms.

I collapsed back into the mattress with a broken whimper, deflating like a popped balloon. Bella followed suit immediately, falling forward over my chest with a dull thump. With her mouth right under my ear, her rasping breaths tickled my neck and a tiny shiver went down my spine from the pleasurable sensation.

We lay there for a minute, neither one of us moving while we tried to catch our breaths. I could feel Bella's heart hammering against my own chest.

Too soon, she pressed a gentle kiss to my shoulder and moved off me with a deep sigh, curling up against my side.

As we held each other in our post-coital bliss, a dark and cold hurt slowly seeped into my chest – I was going to have to leave soon. It surprised me how acute the feeling of pain actually was; it was more intense than I had anticipated. On some level I wasn't really surprised, since I was well-aware that my emotional connection to Bella was already so strong, even though I had only known her for all of two weeks. But still... it was actually going to be a physical pain to leave her in a while.

Perhaps we both felt it; we didn't speak for several minutes, only lying together as close as we could get as we enjoyed the last few moments we would have tonight.

Bella was the first to break the silence.

"You have to leave," she said softly, resignation and understanding weaving through her voice.

"Yes," I sighed back just as softly.

Her hand splayed across my skin, her fingers creating paths between the wiry hairs smattering my chest. "I think... that will be the hardest thing about all this, about you and me," she murmured quietly. "When one of us has to leave."

I closed my eyes against the truth of her statement. We both knew this was going to be difficult, but I don't think either one of us had actually realised just how hard it was going to be until it was happening.

"I know," I whispered, stroking my fingers up and down her back in soothing circles.

"We'll make it work, though," she said softly, that same conviction I had heard in her voice on Wednesday ringing through. "It'll be tough, but we'll make it work."

A slow smile spread on my face, and I tilted my head down to press a kiss against her forehead. "Yeah... we'll make it work," I promised, a sense of calm replacing some of the icy hurt.

We _would_ work past this. There just wasn't another option.

**Did you all like that? I hope so; DILFward is very pleased. **

**Alright, so I had some things I wanted to mention. **

**First, "Getting Lost" now has a banner! Made by the lovely ms-ambrosia, I am completely in love with it. I think it's purdy. Feel free to use it however you'd like – link is on my profile. **

**Second, I've recently started using Twitter for things other than lurking. You can follow me at: Vicanlp (or link on my profile)  
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**Third, my FML-contest entry was chosen by none other than the amazing HunterHunting as her Judge's Pick. At her and several other very kind ladies over on the Twilighted threads requests, I'll be expanding "Up To Scratch" into a multichap story. More ridiculousness and scratching awaits, if you feel like reading that.  
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**As usual, if you leave a review I'll send you a teaser of the next chapter when I have one ready. **

**Did I mention you guys are awesome?**

**I love all of you. **

**xxx**

**/Victoria**


	5. Lunches of varying lengths

**Are you ready to find out about Edward's tattoo? I think you are. Go on – go find out. **

**Bouncy 72, I love ya, babe. Thank you for pointing out my awkward sentances and helping me get better. You're amazing. **

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Lunches of varying lengths **

BPOV

One of the best things ever is probably Naked Edward. Naked Edward _in your bed_ is even better. Naked Edward _in your bed_, watching you climb back into said bed with a post-orgasmic goofy smile on his face… well, that's basically unbeatable.

It was Thursday, a usually boring day that only acts as a vehicle for Friday and the weekend to arrive. However, this Thursday was pretty damn awesome. Why? Because Edward came over for lunch.

Or, well… he inhaled a sandwich on his way over here, and then we proceeded to rip each other's clothes off when he arrived.

_Good times_.

I slid under the covers and snuggled up next to him on my side. He was lying on his stomach, with the sheet _just_ covering his ass – his beautifully muscled back lay entirely exposed for my ogling pleasure.

"Hey," he murmured, his voice low and delicious. I couldn't resist leaning in and kissing him softly. He hummed against my lips, sounding pleased with my decision. I pulled away with a sigh.

"Hey," I said back as I let my hand drift slowly down his spine. "When do you have to get back?"

He took a deep breath, and with an exhausted groan, lifted his head and turned it to the left to see what time it was. He made a pleased humming sound as he smushed his face back into my pillow.

"I don't have to leave for another 20 minutes," he informed me with a relaxed smile.

"Good," I breathed, nuzzling into his shoulder. God, he always smelled so fucking good – all manly and warm and just… _yum_.

I placed lazy kisses along his skin, admiring the hard angles and strong build of him. I paused when my lips and eyes encountered his tattoo, covering his right upper arm. It was almost funny how I hadn't yet had a good look at it, despite having seen him naked so many times in the past two weeks.

But then again, I had been pretty occupied during those instances.

I pulled back a little, wanting to take in the whole thing.

I traced the outline with a feather-light touch, feeling Edward's eyes on me. I glanced up at him through my lashes.

"What does it mean?"

He smiled softly. "Who said it means anything?" he asked teasingly.

I rolled my eyes at him, making him chuckle.

"Alright, sorry. Well, first of all – do you know what it is?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"It's a gryphon, right?" I said, ghosting my finger over the eagle-like head that flowed down into the body of a lion. It sat sideways on its haunches, looking regal and a little intimidating. The only real vivid colour in the whole thing was the intense, golden-yellow eye of the beast, with its feathers varying shades of gray and white, and the fur reminiscent of a lions. A long, curling tail trailed down beneath it, almost wrapping around his arm. It had massive wings curving along the shape of Edward's bicep, the tips of them stretching onto his shoulders and the ends almost reaching his elbow.

I admired the detail of the feathers, each one painstakingly accurate and beautiful. Whoever did this tattoo had managed to capture the light playing across the planes and dips of the creature, making it look real while maintaining the ethereal shroud of such a mythical beast.

Beneath the terrifying paws and talons, all sporting huge, black and sharp claws warning of danger, was a beautifully scripted date; 05/05/04.

"Right," Edward said, his smile widening with pleasure over the fact that I knew what the beast was. "Well, the meaning behind it I guess starts with bedtime."

I raised a questioning eyebrow and Edward chuckled.

"I always read to Maddie at bedtime," he explained. "I started out with all those kid books, you know? But eventually I got tired of reading stuff aimed at three year olds – there isn't much entertainment value in those for grown-ups, you know."

I giggled and nodded in understanding. I never had much patience for children's books either.

"So one night I decided that I might as well read something _I_ might enjoy too. She was more concerned with looking at the pictures anyway, so I knew it wouldn't really matter. But, the only book I had in the apartment that fit the criteria – something I might enjoy, with pictures for Maddie that weren't too grown-up – was _Alice in Wonderland_.

"It took a while to get through it; Maddie would fall asleep after only a few pages. But one night, we came to the part where The Queen leads Alice over to the sleeping gryphon and tells it to take Alice to the Mock Turtle to hear its history."

A soft smile graced Edward's face as he talked – the same smile that always showed when he thought about his daughter.

"I don't know why, but Maddie became completely enthralled with the picture of the gryphon. She wouldn't let me turn the page, because she just wanted to stare at it. She'd never had that kind of reaction to a picture before. And then every night after that, she'd practically force me to open the book at that page so she could look at the 'kitty-bird'."

He made air-quotes at this and we both laughed.

"Eventually I got a print of the damn picture and hung it on her wall, but as I was looking for that print, I came across a few sites that had like information about gryphons and stuff – the mythology and all that."

I nodded slowly, looking back down at the tattoo.

"And then I came across something that... I don't know, stuck out at me. Did you know that, amongst other things, gryphons are supposedly guardians of great treasures?"

I shook my head, and Edward smiled.

"They take the job very seriously – they'll defend their treasures to the death. And I just couldn't stop thinking about that as I looked for the picture for Maddie. And I guess those things kinda mingled in my mind or something, because I realised that in some ways, I'm like that too."

He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice was very soft and gentle.

"Maddie is my treasure to guard, for the rest of my life."

I felt my eyes widen and my lips formed around a silent "Oh" of understanding. I ran my finger over the beautiful script, and things started clicking into place.

"Is this...?"

"Maddie's birth date," he confirmed.

"Wow..." I actually whispered, and I looked back up at him. "Edward, that's beautiful."

I just had to kiss him. I couldn't _not_ kiss such a sweet, loving man (especially not since he was lying naked _in my bed_). I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, weaving my fingers through his hair gently. He responded with warmth, matching my pace and intensity.

I had meant the kiss to be light and, you know, a little romantic and whatnot, but this man... he holds some kind of crazy power over me. I'm so _smitten_ with him, and every time my skin touches his, everything just feels a little bit better, a little bit nicer than before. I couldn't – and kinda didn't want to – stop myself from pressing closer, kissing firmer and harder, from sighing into his mouth as his lips parted beneath mine.

Edward hummed, low in his throat, shifting on the bed until his arm was around my waist, and he was pulling me closer, leading me in to him and the warmth of his body. As our tongues moved sensually against each other, Edward gently rolled me underneath him, manoeuvring me onto my back as he hovered above me. Our chests brushed together with the lightest of touches.

_I should stop this. He has to leave in like 15 minutes and it's not fair of me to get him all worked up, and... jesus, he tastes so good... and I'm just getting myself all worked up again, and I _know_ taking care of business myself doesn't even come close to letting Edward do it for me, and I should... fuck, his hands are so warm... I should... uuunggghh..._

Our hands roamed, glided and whispered over soft skin, trailing fires in both of us. My lungs were squeezing, demanding air, but it was so easily ignored in favour of Edward's lips and tongue and teeth and the taste of him as I slipped my tongue into his mouth. A low, desperate groan rumbled in his throat, answered with a breathless whimper from me. My back arched, pushing me into him, my body searching out his instinctively.

He responded in kind, pressing himself closer to me, another urgent and primal grunt escaping him. But suddenly he broke our kiss, breathing heavily and his grunt turned into a sigh. His regretful exhale warmed the skin of my throat as he pressed his forehead to mine.

"Maybe we shouldn't... do that now," he panted, his green eyes close enough to turn them into blurry smudges.

"Yeah, maybe not," I agreed, equally breathless.

The way his eyes crinkled up, I could tell that he was smiling. I smiled back and chuckled softly.

He pulled farther away with another sigh, but looked down at me with that smile still in place and his arms wrapped securely around me. Out of nowhere, he shook his head with an amused chuckle as he studied my face.

"What?"

He snorted adorably. "It's stupid, but it's just-... Emmett has always said the story behind my tattoo is such a 'chick-magnet'," he rolled his eyes at the term, "and that I could totally use it to as a way to get into someone's pants." He shook his head again as he smirked down at me, looking so sexy it should be illegal. "Guess he was right."

I attempted to glare at him.

I was horrendously bad at it.

"I'm not wearing pants."

"I know," he growled playfully, ducking his head to my neck. I gasped as his warm lips closed around the skin of my throat with a quick, open-mouthed kiss. All sensible thoughts instantly evaporated from my mind and I completely forgot why we shouldn't '_do that'_ right now. Right now seemed like such a good time to '_do that'_...

"Oh!" he suddenly exclaimed, pulling his head away from me _really _quickly. "Just remembered – what are you doing on Sunday?"

I blinked a few times as I tried to get my brain to work again. "Uh... I don't have any plans."

"Great!" He grinned at me, looking exceedingly happy. "Want to go out for lunch with me, Maddie and Emmett? You can bring Jake, too – Maddie would love that."

"Oh," I said, surprise lacing through my voice. "Yeah, okay – sounds like fun."

Edward leaned down and kissed me again. "You'll like Emmett. I don't think he's ever met anyone who didn't instantly become his new best friend."

I laughed. "Sounds interesting."

"Yeah, he's, uh... _special_," Edward chuckled before kissing me one more time. "Mind if I take a quick shower?"

"Well, no – but I happen to be a very firm believer in the conservation of energy. I'm afraid I'm going to have to join you, so as not to waste the water," I said seriously, only breaking into giggles when Edward waggled his eyebrows at me.

"You're such a responsible person, Bella – I like that about you," he informed me as he pulled us both out of the bed. We stumbled into my bathroom, limbs entwined and bodies pressed tightly together as our lips and tongues and teeth made themselves busy again.

Edward was a little late for work.

««◊»»

Sunday arrived with the perfect summer sun, pure happiness streaming in through my bedroom window and greeting me when I woke up. I loved when the tone and mood of my day could be set like that from the minute I opened my eyes. Or well, I loved it when the mood was good and happy – not so much when I instantly knew my whole day would suck ass.

But, today was not a suck-ass kind of day – the sun's warmth and the joy it radiated never wavered as I got ready for lunch, and I was smiling widely as Jake and I stepped out onto the sidewalk. A light breeze brought with it the scents of summer and made my halterneck dress billow gently around my knees and a few strands of my hair to dance across my bare shoulders.

I opened the car door for Jake to hop in, looking down the street absentmindedly. A few cars lined the street outside the buildings, and there were a small number of people milling around, some walking with determination and others just leisurely strolling in the perfect weather.

I shook my head slightly, with a wry smile, at a guy sitting cooped up in his car across the street. He did not look happy, donning sunglasses and reading a magazine. I wondered if maybe he was waiting for someone. Perhaps that someone was late – I got pissed when I had to watch the minutes pass by as whoever I was waiting for didn't show up, too. I'd bet he'd be so much happier if he just got out of the car and took in the beautiful day, instead of stewing like that in his seat.

Why waste such a wonderful day sitting in a car like that?

I quickly forgot about the disgruntled man as I drove away, singing along to the radio every now and then. Small sparks of nervousness were sporadically breaking through the shining happiness of my mood, but it wasn't too bad. I was just a little worried that Maddie's opinion of me might have changed, now that Edward had told her a little bit about our new situation.

I remembered that time myself, when Charlie had told me about Sue and him dating. I'd never seen her as anything other than the woman I occasionally saw around town, although she and Charlie would always stop and talk whenever they bumped into each other. It was just such a hard concept to come to grips with – all of a sudden, this woman, this stranger really, was someone I was supposed to get along with, someone who would be around a lot and divert my daddy's attention away from me.

I knew it was a natural reaction for kids to have, but it still didn't stop me from feeling like I had just been a bit of a selfish brat.

I just hoped Maddie wouldn't suddenly start hating me. It had seemed as if she really liked me when we met, and later when I came over for dinner in the evening. She certainly loved Jake – and having him with me now would probably only help my cause – and if all went well, she wouldn't act markedly different towards me. I was anticipating some reluctance and wariness from her, at the least, but with some luck she might not do a complete 180 on me.

When I finally arrived at the restaurant and got out of the car, it only took me a few seconds to spot the top of Edward's head where he sat at a table outside; his bronze hair was shining and glinting in the sunlight, calling to me like a freaking beacon – 'come to me, and I'll let you lick my face'. Or, well, he probably wouldn't let me lick his face in public, but maybe later.

As Jake and I approached the table, I noticed with confusion that he sat alone, fiddling with a napkin. I came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

He jumped slightly at my touch, but he was smiling when he turned his head to look at me.

"Hey," I said as I bent down to kiss him quickly. Mm, Taste of Edward.

"Hi," he murmured, his voice like silk, after I pulled away and slid into the seat next to him. "You look nice," he complimented me, stretching his arm out to gently touch the white fabric of my dress.

"Thank you," I said with a small blush and a smile. I loved how Edward always managed to make even the smallest compliment sound more sincere and heartfelt than anyone else I had ever met.

My eyes fell on the two empty seats at the table. Had something happened? Were Maddie and Emmett not coming? Oh, god, what if Maddie threw a major outburst or something when Edward told her I was coming to lunch and refused to come too, so now it would just-

"Em and Maddie are inside – apparently there's a giant fish tank that my brother found endlessly fascinating."

My eyes met Edward's, and they were soft and understanding. He had obviously understood the look on my face as I took in the empty seats. I smiled wider and relaxed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of golden blonde slowly moving away, and I diverted my attention to my dog.

"Jake – come here," I said, snapping my fingers once. Jake, who was in the middle of inching his way over to a couple sitting a few tables down eating, paused and looked back at me over his shoulder. Busted. "Come here," I repeated a little more forcefully when he didn't move. I could almost see him heaving a huge sigh as he turned back around and ambled over to me. He lay down at my feet, his head resting dejectedly between his paws.

Edward chuckled. "You're such a hard ass," he joked, smirking at me.

I opened my mouth to reply, but I was interrupted when Maddie suddenly appeared next to Edward's chair.

"Daddy, can I have a fish?"

Edward again jumped a little at the unexpected sound, and he immediately turned his head in her direction. His eyebrows shot up as he looked down at his daughter. "Uh..." He hesitated a little, a confused frown pulling his eyebrows back down. "You want a fish?"

"Yeah, Emmy made me like them!"

_Emmy?_

"Uh, we'll see, honey – we can talk about it later," he said hurriedly before changing the subject. "Where is Emmy?"

"Dude, how many times do I have to tell you – 'Emmy' is a Maddie-exclusive title; you do not have the permission to utter the pure brilliance of that name," a deep voice announced behind us. Edward and I both turned to look at the owner of the voice.

I gaped at the giant man standing before me.

His smile was infectiously happy, dimpled on either side, but it was such a contradiction to his sheer size that I was momentarily befuddled beyond belief. You'd think a huge guy like himself, with what I had to admit were bulging muscles and hands big enough that he could probably grab your head and squeeze it like a lemon with no problems at all, would have an intimidating scowl on his face. But no, not this guy – he might look like a complete bear, but his smile made him more of a huge, fluffy teddy rather than a grizzly or something.

Then his hazelnut eyes zeroed in on me, and an involuntary smile pulled at my lips.

"Oh, my god, I am so sorry," Edward said with the driest sarcasm I had ever heard – his eye roll was truly epic. "Please forgive me for speaking out of bounds."

The giant only grinned impishly. "I've told you – if you'd just let me call you Eddie, Emmy would be free for you to use."

Edward scowled. "'Eddie' is stupid."

"You're stupid."

"What?"

"Well okay, not really. You did manage to get this beautiful woman to go out with you, so I guess you can't really be considered the village idiot." He grinned at me then and took a few steps forward, his giant paw held out to me. "Hi, I'm Emmett."

"Bella," I chuckled as I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," he said as he went around me to drop down into his seat, across from Edward. He put his elbows on the table and leaned in to me. I took a sip of my water as he started speaking. "I've been dying to meet this mystery woman who managed to capture my brother's elusive attention. It's a good thing you came along – I was starting to think Eddie Jr. had fallen off from lack of use."

"Emmett!" Edward hissed angrily as I choked on my water.

Emmett only shrugged. "What? It's a valid concern; five year is a fu-... uh, _fudging_ long time to go without." Emmett cast a quick glance at Maddie, having just stopped himself from cursing in front of her.

"It is not a 'valid concern' and can we please stop talking about it?" Edward hissed, tilting his head down to Maddie, who had pressed herself tightly into Edward's side, peaking out shyly at me from behind his arm. I smiled lightly at her, and I was rewarded with a quick, toothy grin before she buried her head more securely into her father's side.

Edward noticed and gently raised his arm and put it behind his daughter instead, urging her forward a little. He smiled down at her. "Are you going to say hi to Bella, Maddie?"

"Hi," she whispered so quietly I barely heard her. Then she quickly spun around and clung to her father's arm, looking for all the world like the shyest child I had ever seen. I exchanged a quick look with Edward, biting my lip through a smile. Edward just chuckled soundlessly.

"Honey?" he prompted softly, wiggling his arm a little. "There's someone else you might want to say hi to."

She raised her head a tiny fraction and looked up at him.

Edward leaned down to her and whispered conspiratorially, "Jake's here."

The result was instantaneous. Maddie let go of her father's arm, lighting up like a sun. "Where?!" she said, jumping a little. Emmett snorted under his breath at his happy niece.

"He's over here, Maddie," I said, waving my hand beside me. Maddie gasped and ran around Edward, dropping to her knees beside the puppy.

"Jake!" she giggled, and he stood up immediately, giving out a yapping bark and wagging his tail enthusiastically; it banged against the leg of my chair rhythmically as the two of them greeted each other. Maddie laughed as the puppy licked her face, and the pealing sound of her delight made everyone within earshot smile.

Suddenly a menu appeared in front of my face. "I'm hungry – let's order," Emmett declared jovially and I took the menu from him with a laugh.

Lunch turned out to be very... interesting. Edward had been right; Emmett was incredibly likable and had a personality just has huge as his body. By the time our food had arrived, I had already grown rather attached to the guy, which surprised me more than anything. The swiftness with which that attachment appeared was strangely welcome.

Watching him interact with Maddie was also a rather interesting sight – half the time I had no idea what the hell they were talking about.

Like when the waitress arrived with their plates – a gourmet burger for Emmett and a plate of chicken fingers with broccoli and cheese sauce for Maddie – Emmett turned to his niece, regarded her plate for a few seconds, and then nodded solemnly.

"There will be no apples dancing down this street, will there, chick-pea?" he then said to Maddie.

I threw a slow, side-ways glance at Edward, subtly raising my eyebrows in question. He just shook his head with a 'don't ask me – I don't have a fucking clue either' look on his face.

"The apples are all in space," Maddie agreed with a serious little pout on her adorable face.

"They'll be back soon though, or else the hickenbums will have to step in, and we don't want that, do we, General?"

"No, we don't want that."

Emmett and Maddie shook hands and then dug into their food. Edward and I stared in stunned silence. Eventually Edward turned to me and quietly said, "You'll get used to that. Believe me, it can get worse."

There were no other mentions of dancing apples in space or 'hickenbums' after that, as Emmett began telling me about his life as a photographer. He had started out taking portraits and model pictures, but his vast interest in the outdoors had lead him to now specialise in wild life. He told me stories about sitting in a tree for 13 hours on a remote island of Fiji, waiting for the perfect picture and of being trapped in a truck with two other guys for several hours while a group of lions napped in the shade the car cast on the ground. He had a truly fascinating life that took him all over the world – I suddenly felt very restricted in my own lifestyle.

All throughout lunch, I could see Maddie throwing cautious looks my way from time to time. She barely spoke as we eat, which was different from how she had been when I came over for dinner three weeks ago; then she had talked about anything and everything as we ate, asking questions left and right. Now she only answered direct questions with monosyllables.

Edward didn't seem too concerned with her lack of participation, though; he seemed more interested in getting her to eat her broccoli.

"Maddie, you can't just eat the chicken, okay? I want you to eat some of the broccoli, please."

Edward pushed the cheese-covered vegetables on her plate closer to her with his fork, giving her a look that clearly said he meant business. She frowned sadly.

"I don't like it, daddy," she said pleadingly.

"You haven't tried one in a while, honey – maybe you've changed your mind."

Maddie looked extremely doubtful as she shook her head. Edward sighed as he leaned a little closer to her, resting his arm on the table.

"I want you to just try one, please. For me?"

Maddie looked down at her plate for a long time, but then shook her head again and leaned back defiantly in her chair. She crossed her arms and she mumbled, "No, I don't want to."

I saw Edward frown deeply before he huffed loudly down his nose, his frustration clearly building. I don't know what came over me, but just as Edward's lips parted for whatever he had planned to say to his daughter, I found myself calmly interrupting him with my own words instead.

"You know, when I was younger, the only thing I would eat was broccoli."

All three of them turned to look at me; Edward looked confused, Maddie looked a little startled and Emmett just seemed to find the whole thing hilarious. I took a sip of my water before focusing my eyes on Maddie.

"I would eat them with sauce, because I could pretend to be a giant who dipped huge trees into rivers before eating them."

The stunned silence lasted for two seconds before Emmett burst out in loud guffaws, throwing his head back as he laughed. Edward merely looked at me with his mouth hanging open, so I reached over and put my finger under his chin and closed it. Maddie started giggling in delight as I did this, causing Edward's lips to turn up in a smile.

"You seriously only ate broccoli?" he asked.

I nodded. "Mmhm. Charlie thought I was going to be a vegetarian for a long time."

The sound of Edward's answering chuckle filled me with warmth – dammit, even his laugh was more beautiful than a normal man's. I felt a bloom of pink spread on my cheeks in pleasure. I loved that I had caused that sound to be heard. I almost felt proud of myself, to be honest. I went back to eating my lunch with a small, self-satisfied grin.

Five minutes later, Maddie had finished half of her broccoli.

As we finished eating, I felt Edward's eyes on me quite frequently, and I often caught him openly staring. He made no move to hide his attentions either; he only smirked a little when our eyes met, making even more warmth fill me. I still found it hard to believe that _he_ was looking at _me_ like that, but I didn't want to question it. I was more than content to just accept that I was extremely lucky to have met him and that he felt even a sliver of the attraction I felt for him.

When our plates had been cleared, and we were just sitting around talking, Edward casually reached for my hand under the table. He gently entwined our fingers as he spoke to Emmett about a new project for work or something, but I was suddenly finding it hard to concentrate on the words coming out of his mouth. The feel of my hand in his was kind of distracting me a little.

I tried to feign casualness, even though I was far from it on the inside – I caught myself grinning like an idiot every other second, and my eyes were constantly drawn to Edward, as if he were a goddamn magnet or something. The sun highlighting his hair, the strong and graceful line of his neck and shoulders, the tight-fitting black t-shirt he was wearing... all of it was pulling my attention to him, and the skin-on-skin contact of our hands was only amplifying it.

I was, once again, staring at the way the sunlight was making Edward's ear bright red when Emmett cleared his throat with an amused air about it.

"Hey, General, let's take that golden puppy over to the grass over there," Emmett said to Maddie, pointing to the left of the restaurant. "He looks a bit bored."

I looked down at the ground next to Maddie, where Jake had placed himself. He did indeed look very bored, but I somehow doubted that was Emmett's real reason for leaving. As I suspected, when he rose from his seat, we winked subtly at me.

Edward chuckled as the three of them took off, leaving us alone. His thumb was doing a good job of distracting me as it moved slowly up and down my skin, and I found myself taking a rather shaky breath.

Edward smiled. "Are you having a nice time?"

"Yeah, I am. Emmett is just-..." I shook my head with a laugh. "I can see why Maddie loves him so much."

Edward's smile spread wider. "Yeah, those two together are, uh... special."

His thumb continued to move over my skin, and I swallowed slowly as I tampered down the emotions slowly rising in me.

_It's only his thumb for god's sake._

We both looked down at our clasped hands, and Edward spoke gently.

"I can't believe you convinced her to eat broccoli. I've been trying to do that for years, and you manage to accomplish it in fifteen seconds with a story about pretending to be a giant."

I giggled as he laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. He glanced up at me through his lashes for a quick second, before we both looked back down at our hands. Our fingers were now slowly moving, sliding against each other and softly teasing. I brushed my fingertips against his pulse, feeling the strong tendon right next to it and slowly sweeping further up, feeling the hard protrusion of bone under soft, warm skin.

Edward spoke again as I let my fingertips sweep back down over his palm.

"I think this went well; Maddie was a bit shy, but at least she's not-... you know, like, _mad_, or anything." He smiled wryly as our eyes met. "It could be a lot worse."

I giggle-snorted. "Yeah, she could hate me. That would be awkward."

"A bit, yes," Edward chuckled as he slowly raised our hands. I watched with rapt attention as he brought my hand up to his mouth, placing a small kiss on my knuckles. Goosebumps spread instantaneously up my arm when his lips made contact with my skin, something Edward definitely noticed. Hot waves of his breath spread over my hand as a low chuckle escaped him; his eyes trailed up my arm and a smug smile appeared on his face.

He totally earned the right to be smug though, so I let him have his moment. I couldn't deny the reactions he brought out in me, and it was pointless to even think I could hide them from him.

Our eyes met again, and I immediately felt the need to straddle his lap and grind myself against the tantalising bulge in his pants. He probably saw it on my face too, because the green depths started shining with a dangerous glint that made it even more impossible to stay in my seat.

His amazingly delicious lips parted to no doubt speak words that would reduce me to a quivering mess, but before a single syllable could drop off his tongue, my phone started ringing.

We both sighed simultaneously, our lust-filled expressions giving way to resignation. I gave him a remorseful smile as I dropped his hand to dig my phone out of my purse.

I glanced down at the screen and frowned – it wasn't a number I recognised, but I answered cautiously anyway.

"Hello?"

"_Hello, is this Isabella Swan?_" a male voice inquired.

I looked at Edward, whose eyebrows were raised in question.

"Uhm, yes, it is."

"_I'm calling on behalf of Rosalie Hale_." The way he said this made cold chills seep along my spine. My expression must have shown it, because Edward instantly reclaimed my hand and looked at me with deep concern.

"Rose? Why, did something happen?" I wasn't sure if the hint of panic in my voice could be heard by anyone but myself, but it was there and I could feel it rising in my chest with every passing second.

"_Yes, I'm afraid so – I'm her doctor, and we're going to need you to come down to the hospital. Rosalie's been involved in an accident._"

* * *

**Dun dun du-un! **

**Hehe. Sorry about the cliffie (not really). I haven't ever really done a **_**proper**_** cliffie before, so I thought it was about damn time. **

**As usual, review for a teaser (which I'll send out as soon as I have one ready), and you can also follow me on twitter for updates on what I'm writing (link on my profile). **

**I will also put a link or two on my profile of "Edward's" tattoo. It's doesn't look exactly like that, but I'm firstly not an artist so I can't draw it myself, and secondly I don't have a scanner, so even if I could draw it myself, I wouldn't be able to show you anyway. But if you want a bit more visual aid on his tattoo, that's roughly what it looks like, only his tattoo is much more realistic and beautiful. **

**You guys are beyond awesome. Thanks for reading. **

**xxx**

**/Victoria **


	6. Battlegrounds

**You guys are so observant (cryptic, much?). Observant and awesome. **

**Bouncy 72, as always – I love ya loads. Thank you for everything that you do.

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Battlegrounds**

_"__I'm calling on behalf of Rosalie Hale__." The way he said this made cold chills seep along my spine. My expression must have shown it, because Edward instantly reclaimed my hand and looked at me with deep concern._

_"Rose? Why, did something happen?" I wasn't sure if the hint of panic in my voice could be heard by anyone but myself, but it was there and I could feel it rising in my chest with every passing second._

_"__Yes, I'm afraid so – I'm her doctor, and we're going to need you to come down to the hospital. __Rosalie's been involved in an accident.__"_

I couldn't speak. I just sat there, wordlessly staring down at the table in front of me. This piece of information attempted to seep though my consciousness and make some kind of sense, but it just... didn't. It didn't make any sense whatsoever. The words 'Rosalie', 'involved' and 'accident' just couldn't be uttered in a sentence together. It just wasn't possible. How-? What-? Whe-... No.

No. No, no, _no_.

"_Miss Swan?"_

The doctor's concerned voice filtered into my ear, but I still couldn't completely snap out of my daze.

"I-..." A single sound. My throat wasn't working. One single sound was as generous as it could be.

My gaze somehow roamed until it landed on Edward. I focused on the green of his eyes. The wide, worried green. The wide, worried-for-me, green. They were flickering back and forth between my own eyes, frantically trying to understand what was going on. My eyes never left Edward's green – in some weird, strange way, the green was anchoring me, helping me focus.

I suddenly realised how my grip on his hand was unreasonably tight - I must have been hurting him. Hell, I was hurting myself, but he didn't even flinch. He gripped me just as strongly, tugged and squeezed my fingers, trying to bring me back.

"_Miss Swan? It's important that you come down to the hospit-"_

"Where?" I croaked, interrupting the doctor. If the situation was serious for Rose, if she was-... god, I couldn't even think of the situation being _serious_-serious. I couldn't even imagine her lying in a hospital bed, unconscious with tubes and needles and wires sticking into her body, attaching her to machines and monitors – it just couldn't happen. _That_ couldn't happen, not to Rose, not to her... _oh god, please, not to Rose, please, oh god..._

I didn't bother asking anymore questions on the phone. As soon as he told me which hospital I needed to find, I thanked him and snapped my phone shut, rising from my chair immediately. My movements were rigid, stiff, machine-like – I couldn't think of anything beyond needing to get out of there, of needing to go to Rose and do... something. Just something.

I didn't even remember my steely grasp on Edward's hand as I turned from the table. I gasped when I was abruptly pulled back against his hold.

"Hey, hey, Bella? What's going on? Did something happen?" Edward stood up so quickly that his chair nearly toppled over behind him, but he didn't care at all. He simply stepped closer to me, grasping me firmly by my arms. "What's wrong?"

I swallowed around the painful lump in my throat, a lump that seemed to grow and swell with unshed tears, panic and fear for my friend. _Oh god, Rose..._

"Rosalie..." I whispered as I stared into Edward's eyes, into my anchor. I swallowed again, hoping my voice would gain some strength from this. "She's-... something's happened to her, and I-... I have to... Edward, I have to-... an accident and the hospital just..."

Why was Edward blurring? Why were my eyes stinging?

_Oh, right – tears_.

I barely had time to blink, to cause the tears to cascade down my face with this simple action, before I was surrounded by Edward. His warm, solid chest against my cheek, his strong, protective arms around me, his scent permeating the air and the steady beat of his heart under my ear.

I grasped onto him, twisting my hands into the fabric of his shirt as I battled to hold onto the last shred of calm in me. I couldn't freak out, I had to stay calm, I had to get to Rose, I couldn't freak out, I couldn't cry, couldn't break down, no, no, stay calm, don't cry, get yourself together, breathe, don't cry, stay calm... get to Rose, calm down.

"What happened?" Edward asked quietly, the rumblings of his voice coming through his chest. I pressed myself closer and breathed him in, trying to convince myself that his scent would bring me composure.

"I don't know," I answered in a small voice, "he just said she'd been in an accident and that I needed to come down to the hospital." I struggled to breathe rhythmically, to stop my lungs from drawing in random and inadequate wisps of air. "Oh god, what if she-...?" I shook my head against him, unable to finish my thought.

He tightened his grip on me, angling his head down until I could feel his lips against my hair. "Sssh, Bella, it's okay. We'll go to the hospital and make sure she's fine, don't worry. Sssh..."

I froze against him, stiffening in shock. _We_?

Before I could ask him what he was talking about, he pulled away and grasped my hand reassuringly, waving at the waitress for the check. "Let me just pay this, and then I'll tell Em to take Maddie home – he'll watch her while we're at the hospital."

I stared at him in shock as he pulled out his wallet, getting his credit card prepared for when the waitress arrived.

Again: _we_? Was he-... was he coming with me? Had he just completely taken it for granted that he would come with me? I firmly pushed down the hope and relief that budded up in me at this; I didn't dare hope that he was serious, I didn't dare let that feeling of relief, relief at possibly not having to go alone, take me over.

"Edward, you don't... I mean, I can go-... you don't have to..."

He squeezed my hand tightly, shaking his head. "Don't even think about it. I'm coming with you. I don't care if she's only scraped her knee or something – I'm coming with you."

I stared at him for a silent moment, my mouth hanging open in astonishment. Then I was moving, throwing, crashing into and grasping onto him. I squeezed him as tightly as I could, not even letting up when he grunted at the impact and wheezed as I restricted his lungs.

"Thank you," I sobbed out in a breath of relief. "Thank you."

He chuckled sadly under his breath as he wrapped his arms around me again. "You really thought I'd let you go alone?" He pressed a kiss against my temple and mumbled against my skin. "You obviously don't know me very well – some people would insist that I'm pushy and intrusive, but I like to think of it more as not abandoning the people I care about when they need me."

I couldn't stop my thoughts from briefly touching upon Emily when he said this. I might have been imagining the hint of bitterness in his gentle voice, but I don't think I had. It sounded like reassurance for me, mixed in with a jab at his ex-wife who clearly didn't share his trait of not abandoning those he cared about.

I briefly wondered if he and I would ever talk more about Emily, and how her actions had affected him, other than in the obvious ways. At this point I couldn't know how much her abandonment had damaged him emotionally – if at all – but maybe when we knew each other better, when our relationship was older... maybe then would I see or understand the full extent of her impact in his life. Until then I could only guess, could only ponder about the comments like the one he just made.

"You're sure?" I whispered against him, giving him one last chance to back out.

He snorted into my hair. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm not letting you go alone."

I could have cried. What had I ever done to deserve having this man in my life?

"Oh, hang on," he said gently, pulling away from me when the waitress approached with the check. I tried to gather myself and my composure as he dealt with the check, and perhaps quicker than I had thought possible, Edward had reclaimed my hand and was pulling me away from the table. I followed behind him as he made his way over to the grassy area next to the restaurant.

"Em!" he shouted as we neared. Emmett looked up from chasing Maddie and Jake round and round a bush, looking a little confused by the tone of Edward's voice. He came to a slow stop and frowned at us, his confusion over the serious air hovering around Edward and I giving way to worry. He held up a finger in our direction, indicating that he would be right there, before calling Maddie's name and gesturing for her to follow him.

He quickly made his way over to us, looking back and forth between his brother and me. His eyes lingered on my face, which was undoubtedly twisted with worry.

"Bella just got a call from the hospital – her friend's been involved in some kind of accident and we need to get down there. Would you mind taking care of Maddie for me?"

Emmett immediately nodded. "Yeah, of course. Is she – your friend – is she okay?" He looked at me, concern overtaking his hazel brown eyes.

I shrugged hesitantly. "I-... I hope so. I don't know." I choked a little on the last word, struggling desperately to hold myself together just a little while longer.

Emmett nodded slowly, reaching out to squeeze my arm affectionately. I felt reassured by the simple and unassuming touch, and I gave him my best attempt at a smile – I could feel it wobbling, but it stayed on my lips regardless.

"Daddy?" Maddie asked hesitantly, coming up next to her uncle. She looked back and forth between all of us, trying to figure out what was going on.

Edward squatted down in front of her. "Honey, you're going to stay with Uncle Em for a little while, okay? I'll come pick you up later tonight."

Maddie blinked in confusion, frowning a little at her father. "Where you going?" she asked quietly.

Edward hesitated, turning his head to look at me quickly. He sighed sadly. "A friend of Bella's has been in an accident and Bella needs to go to the hospital to make sure her friend is alright. I'm going with her."

Maddie looked at me curiously for a few seconds before turning back to her dad. "Can't grandpa take care of her?"

I frowned in confusion, but before I could voice my questions, Edward turned to look at me again. "Which hospital have they taken her to?"

"Uh, Harborview... why?"

He nodded. "My dad works there. He might be able to help us get information about what happened a bit quicker than usual."

My heart did a double take – this was good. This was very good. If Edward's dad worked at the hospital, he might be able to give us some 'insider information' on Rosalie's condition, whatever that may be. It would be especially beneficial if the nurses or doctors taking care of her didn't want to say much about what had happened.

"Don't worry honey, I won't be gone for long," Edward said to Maddie, ruffling her hair affectionately. She nodded slowly, reaching for her uncle and clinging to his leg.

"Uh, what about the dog?" Emmett asked me, pointing at Jake who was splayed out on the ground at Maddie's feet. I groaned quietly. I couldn't take him with me to the hospital, and I couldn't just take him home – who knew how long I would have to stay with Rosalie? There was no way I could risk leaving him alone in the apartment for such an undecided amount of time.

"Do you want me to take him too?" Emmett asked a second later, as if that were the most obvious answer. Maddie lit up with joy at this prospect – her eyes were hopeful as she looked up at me.

"Emmett, I don't know if I ca-..." I started saying hesitantly, but he interrupted me with a wave of his huge hand.

"Don't worry about it – I think I can handle the puppy too," he said, winking at me.

I would have argued more, would have tried to come up with a solution that didn't involve leaving my puppy with a man I had known for about one hour, if not for the fact that I needed to leave as soon as possible. I didn't have time to find another solution – getting to Rose was more important.

I nodded with a relieved sigh, thanking him quietly as we all made our way over to the cars. Emmett, who had driven in with Edward, took Maddie and Jake in the Volvo while Edward and I jumped into my car and drove away as fast as the speed restrictions allowed.

We didn't speak much during the drive; I was too distracted with trying to _not_ imagine what had happened to Rose and how she was doing now, and Edward most likely sensed that I was not in the mood to talk. He gave me his silent support, his mere presence acting as a calming influence on my nerves.

Edward had his arm around me as we went into the hospital. I had no idea where to go, or who or what to ask, so I let him lead me. We were almost up to a large desk along the back wall of the room we were in when a surprised voice made Edward come to a stop.

"Edward? What are you doing here?"

I turned my head to the left, looking around Edward, and saw a very handsome man walking towards us. He was blonde and had the exact same jaw as Edward, and with his white coat and the chart he was carrying, I could only assume this had to be his father.

The man's eyes flickered back and forth between me and Edward as he approached, and his smile was both delighted, welcoming and curious.

"Hey, dad," Edward greeted him when he stopped in front of us, confirming my assumption. He gestured to me softly. "This is Bella."

His father's eyes lit up with recognition at the name and his grin widened happily. "Bella!" he said cheerfully, holding out his hand to me. I shook it firmly with as much of a smile as I could muster. "I'm Carlisle. I'm glad to finally meet you – Edward talks about you quite a lot, you know."

Edward coughed next to me and I looked up at him with a small, amused smile.

"It's nice to meet you too," I said as I turned back to his father.

"So what brings you two here? I thought you were going to lunch with Emmett," Carlisle said, looking at his son. His smile disappeared as a frown formed between his eyes. "Where's Maddie? Did something happen?"

Edward held his hand out, making a calming gesture. "Maddie's fine – Emmett took her home. We're actually here for Bella. She got a call a little while ago about her friend Rosalie. They said she'd been involved in an accident."

Carlisle frowned deeper as he looked down at me. "I'm sorry to hear that. Have you heard anything else?"

I shook my head, taking a deep breath. "No, I wanted to come down here as quickly as possible, so I didn't ask any questions."

Carlisle nodded slowly. "What's her full name?" he asked, his voice taking on a slightly professional tone.

"Rosalie Hale," I answered.

Carlisle gave another nod with a tight-lipped smile. "Alright. Give me a moment; I'll see what I can find out."

With that he turned away from us and walked over to the large counter, bending across it to talk to one of the nurses. As I watched him gather information about Rose, without even needing to be asked to do so, I dimly realised that I had felt intense relief towards all three Cullen men in the span of 30 minutes.

_My life is weird_.

"Hey... you holding up okay?" Edward asked me as he gently guided me over to a row of seats. We sat down and I leaned in to him a little. His strong arm was still around me and I welcomed the support immensely.

"I think so," I murmured quietly, twisting my fingers into my dress. I scowled down at the white fabric – it had seemed so perfect before; the perfect dress for a perfect summer's day while I had lunch with a perfect man. Now, sitting on the hard plastic chair in the hospital while my friend was in one of its countless rooms, her condition and what had happened to her still unknown... it seemed frivolous and silly. So out of place.

I tucked my kitten heel-clad feet underneath the chair, wanting to hide them and their inappropriateness.

Edward's free hand came into my field of vision. He softly covered my now balled fists with the warmth of his palm. I breathed deeply as I slowly relaxed the death grip on my dress, turning my hand over to entwine our fingers. I felt strangely satisfied when I saw the crinkles and bunches my tight grasp had left behind in the otherwise immaculate fabric – the uneven circles seemed to, ironically enough, _perfectly_ display my emotional state right now.

I looked up at Edward, seeking out the anchor of his green eyes again. He simply smiled gently at me, reassuring me with the warm kindness radiating from his gaze. He didn't say anything, most likely sensing my need to just have him be there beside me. He squeezed my fingers softly.

We waited for several minutes while Carlisle moved around at the desk, talking to the nurses, waiting while they phoned whoever had any information or something. I didn't know what was going on. I tried to stop myself from looking at Carlisle's facial expressions; the serious frown he wore made me imagine all sorts of horrors that I didn't feel like dealing with at the moment.

Finally he gave the nurse he was talking to a final nod of gratitude, tapping his knuckles twice on the desk as he left. He walked over to us and I was standing before I'd even realised I'd made the decision to do so. Edward followed my lead quickly as his father approached us.

His expression did not reassure me.

"Your friend seems to be in a stable condition for the time being," he said as soon as he stood in front of me. I almost collapsed with relief, a hand flying up to my chest as I exhaled shakily. Edward wrapped his arm around me again, supporting me.

"Do you know what happened?" he asked his father, but Carlisle only shook his head sadly.

"I don't know much – Rosalie's doctor has been paged and he'll meet you on her floor to explain what's happened. All I know is that she was involved in a car accident and she's scheduled to have orthopaedic surgery as soon as possible."

I stared wordlessly at him, suddenly unable to breathe. _Car accident? Surgery?_

He gave us directions to her floor, and with a final clap on Edward's shoulder he turned to me before he left.

"It was nice to meet you Bella, even though I had thought our first meeting would be under more pleasant circumstances."

He gave my arm a gentle squeeze before turning to leave; I couldn't get my mouth back in working order in time to utter similar words of regret over our first meeting. It really would have been nice to have met Edward's dad in another setting.

We quickly made our way up to Rosalie's floor and it didn't take long until a middle-aged man in a scrubs came into the waiting area, calling my name.

"I'm Bella Swan," I said as Edward and I walked up to him. He smiled and gestured for us to step to the side, out of the way of the nurses and doctors.

"I'm doctor Walberg, I was the one who called you. We normally contact family members, but seeing as Rosalie's closest relatives live down in Florida, she gave us your name as her emergency contact."

"How is Rosalie?" I asked anxiously after nodding in acknowledgement of his words. Carlisle had said she was stable at the moment, but I wanted more information than that.

"She's resting right now. We'll be taking her into surgery in an hour – she's suffered a series of complicated fractures in her right fibula which we need to go in and repair and we're also keeping an careful eye on the breaks. With this kind of injury there's always the risk that small bone splinters break off from the bone and make their way into the bloodstream; if that happens it can be difficult to control the damage. Worst case scenario, the splinter would travel through her bloodstream and make it into her heart." He looked at me seriously, that typical doctor-expression on his face. "We don't anticipate something like that happening to Rosalie, but we're prepared for anything."

I tried to swallow around that lump in my throat again. "Wha-... what h-happened?" I squeezed out, concentrating on breathing in and out.

"She doesn't remember much of what happened, but the man who made the call witnessed the accident; the EMT's were able to piece most of it together. It seems as if Rosalie had just stepped out of her car outside her residence, but dropped something on the ground. When she bent to pick it up, a car came speeding down the street – the man guessed that the driver couldn't see her until she stood up, at which point he attempted to hit the brakes."

I must have swayed or made some kind of movement, because Edward's arm constricted around me, his hand grasping me tightly and holding me against him. I welcomed both the physical and emotional support immensely.

"The accident would have been a lot worse if the driver hadn't managed to slow the speed of his car to the extent that he did. Besides the fractures in her leg, Rosalie suffers from several badly bruised ribs, although none of them broken, and a severe head wound from the impact with her car window."

I whimpered, my shaking hand coming up to cover my mouth. _Oh god, Rosalie..._

"The wound required stitching, but we've got everything else under control. The most pressing issue right now is the surgery. We're going to have to go in to realign the bones so that they can set properly, as well as secure them with some metal wires around the breaks."

He held his left hand up, illustrating with a pen in his right hand a diagonal line over his pointer finger. "Fortunately, the largest break is in such a condition that we'll be able to support it at three different points – with most breaks we can only use one or two wires, due to the length of the fractures, but for Rosalie a third one is necessary. This is good, since it will give the bone even more support which will help with the healing. The whole procedure shouldn't take more than two hours or so."

I nodded dumbly – I took in everything he was saying, but I couldn't really process it yet. I would have to put it away for later contemplation.

"After the surgery, we will keep her here for observation for a few days – patients usually recover from the procedure after a day or two, but sometimes there are fevers and minor complications that we want to keep a close eye on. She should be able to leave on Wednesday at the latest."

I nodded again, a million thoughts, questions and concerns milling around in my brain. I would need to figure out how to take care of her when she could come home – maybe it would be best if I stayed with her for a few days, until she got accustomed to her crutches or whatever? I would need to contact someone at her job, call her parents, bring her some fresh clothes for tomorrow...

"So, wait, wait..." Edward said, his voice laced with anger and indignation as he interrupted my thoughts. I frowned at him, wondering what could have brought on this reaction. "You said a man who witnessed the accident made the call, right? So what happened to the driver?"

Edward was clearly accusatory, but not of the doctor. He was definitely accusing the driver of... _oh, god_. My whole body went cold, dread induced ice spreading along every bone and muscle in me. I turned back to doctor Walberg just in time to see him take a deep breath and nod reluctantly.

"The driver took off within seconds of the accident happening," he said slowly, confirming the horrible suspicion that Edward's words had conjured up.

Trembling tears held on to the edges of my lashes as it all sunk in. The man had _hit her with his car_... and then just took off? He didn't even step out of his damn vehicle to make sure the person he hit wasn't dead? I felt sick. What kind of a person would do that? It was fucking lunchtime on a Sunday, in a residential area with a witness close by, and he still just drove off?

What if it had been in the middle of the night, somewhere with no witnesses, with no one to help, no one to call the ambulance... if he had just left her there after crashing his car into her... I swallowed hard against the sudden surge of bile that threatened to rise from my stomach. I really didn't feel like throwing up on the good doctor's shoes right now.

"Would you like to go see her for a few minutes?" doctor Walberg interrupted my thoughts. I blinked a few times, trying to bring myself back into the moment and away from the thoughts that would either turn me into a blubbering mess or throw me into a fit of murderous rage. "She's quite heavily sedated because of the pain, but she's been asking for you. There is still some time before we can take her into surgery, so I'm sure she would appreciate seeing a familiar face." He smiled kindly at me, his eyebrows raised in question.

"Yes, I'd like that – thank you," I said, my voice slightly shaky but still somewhat under control. I fought harder to get a grip on myself – if I was going to see Rosalie now, I needed to be strong for her. I didn't want her to see me break down over this. I could break down later, in the privacy of a bathroom or, you know, the waiting room.

Doctor Walberg smiled and nodded. "Right this way."

I wasn't sure if Edward was included in this, if he was allowed to see her too, but I selfishly pulled him along with me. I didn't want to go alone, and while I realised that maybe this wasn't the best way to introduce him to my best friend, with her lying drugged up in a hospital bed, I just... I wanted him with me.

Doctor Walberg stopped outside a small room, sweeping his arm in front of the doorway.

"She will be prepped for surgery soon, but you'll have time to talk to her for a while." He gave us a last parting nod before leaving.

I took a deep breath as I looked at the door in front of me. I couldn't see Rosalie from my position, but I could hear the faint beeping noise of one of those heart-monitor things coming from inside the room.

"You okay?" Edward said quietly, looking down at me gently.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm just... preparing myself."

"Do you want me to go to the waiting room? I understand if you want to, you know... have a minute alone with her."

His arm started sliding away from me as he took a hesitant step back, so I twisted around quickly to grab onto his hand before he could remove himself from my side. "No. I-... can... can you... come with me?" I slowly looked up at him, knowing there was a pleading expression in my eyes. "I don't think I can go in there alone."

He squeezed my hand back immediately. "Yeah, sure. Of course. Whatever you need, Bella."

I smiled thankfully at him. With another deep breath, I took a step forward into the room.

My next inhale got stuck in my throat as I took in the sight of Rosalie. Her eyes were closed, but I wasn't sure if she was sleeping or not. They'd dressed her in one of those blue and white smock-things and a blanket was covering the left side of her body. Her normally peach-coloured skin was ghostly pale, and there was gauze around her head with a bump near her temple – I guessed it was a cotton compress over the head wound. She had on a neck-brace, and I almost couldn't believe that this was Rosalie, lying in that bed. I couldn't understand it – it just didn't make any sense in my mind. The image of her, so... _broken_... it just didn't compute.

There were scratches and bruises covering almost all of the skin that was exposed, and I could only stomach a quick glance at her leg. The unnatural look of it, how it wasn't quite straight, made so many mental images of bloody flesh and broken bones slicing through skin flood my mind that I almost felt lightheaded.

Edward and I slowly approached the bed.

"Rosalie?" I whispered softly, reaching out with my hand to softly touch her arm.

Her eyes fluttered open and it took a while before she could focus on me. Water was slowly seeping out from the corners of her eyes in regular intervals. I didn't think she was actually crying, she was just... leaking tears. Her pupils were absolutely huge and a goofy half-smile took over her lips.

"_Beeell_-aaaaaaaaah..." she cooed delightfully, a weak giggle bubbling out before she could stop it.

_Oh my god, she was so high_.

"Hey, Rose... how- how..."

I opened and closed my mouth several times, trying to figure out what to say. I couldn't reasonably ask her how she was doing, because _clearly_, she wasn't doing all that great. However, Rose solved the problem for me herself.

Her drug-hazed eyes swivelled until she was looking at Edward, at which point her goofy half-smile turned into a full-smile, with added goofy.

"You're _pretty_...!" she told him, immediately giggling again.

Edward's eyebrows rose up incredibly high on his forehead before a surprised laugh escaped him. "Uh, thank you. I'm Edward."

Rose face slowly transformed into a disappointed frown. "Oh... you're Bella's." She sighed heavily as she looked back at me. "You're so lucky, Bella... _Bell_-aahh... Bell-_ahh_... Belly..."

She started giggling again, closing her eyes.

Whoa. So yeah, she was _really_ high.

Edward and I exchanged glances, but I had to look away while biting my lip. The temptation to start laughing hysterically was far too strong if I kept looking at him.

"Tell you what," Edward said quietly in my ear, "I'll go to the waiting room and give you two a few minutes. I have a feeling Rosalie will not want to remember this moment, and if I stay she might... well, she might say something that she'll regret when she's not drugged out of her mind." He winked at me, pressing a quick kiss to my temple.

He turned to Rose. "Rosalie? It was nice to finally meet you, although I really had hoped it would be under better circumstances."

He gave her a dazzling smile before stepping out of the room and disappearing down the hallway. I looked after him slightly longingly, unable to stop my eyes from drifting down to his retreating ass. Those jeans really made his already glorious backside look like a freaking work of art.

"He's so _hot_, Bella!" Rose accused indignantly when he'd left, but her pout was so adorable that I again had to fight the urge to laugh. "Why don't I have one of those?"

I snorted. "You'll find one, Rose, I promise."

She seemed to consider my words for a few seconds before a lazy smile suddenly bloomed in her face. "Yeah..." she agreed simply.

"I'm glad you had them call me," I told her, stepping closer to the bed. I reached out and smoothed away a lock of her hair.

She looked up at me, blinking slowly. "I'm glad you came." She was quiet for a few seconds before three heart wrenching words left her in a small, broken whisper. "I'm scared, Bella."

I held back the dry sob that wanted to break free and smiled at her as reassuringly as possible. I felt the muscles protest, I felt them tremble under the strain of forcing the smile on my face. "You don't have to be scared, Rose. I spoke with doctor Walberg – he's very nice and he knew what he was talking about. You'll be fine, Rose, I promise."

"You think?" she asked pleadingly, clearly looking for my reassurance.

"I _know_," I emphasised, stroking her arm lightly.

She did her best at nodding, seeing as the bulky neck brace was in the way.

I glanced down at her leg again; even though the sight of it made me queasy, I couldn't stop myself from looking at it. It was like a car cras-

I closed my eyes tightly, shaking my head to stop that thought before it fully formed in my mind. No, not like _that_.

"Did they tell you about the surgery?" I asked Rose, my eyes still closed, in an effort to distract myself.

"Yeah..." she drawled slowly. "It sounds weird."

I chuckled under my breath. "Yeah, who knew they used metal wires to fix broken bones?" I opened my eyes and looked at her again, leaning closer to wipe away the leaking tears that trailed down her temple.

Rose giggled. "I wonder if I'll be able to go through airport security with this." She giggled some more and I joined her.

Before we could say anymore, doctor Walberg and a nurse entered the room. He smiled at both of us, coming to stand at the foot of her bed.

"Good news, Rosalie – a OR has opened up earlier than we thought, so we can go ahead and prep you for surgery now. I just want to go through the procedure with you one more time..."

I listened as the doctor explained the whole thing again, taking careful note of everything, just in case I had misunderstood something the first time around. When he was done he turned to me.

"Well then, Ms Swan – as you know, the surgery will take at least two hours, and Rosalie most likely won't wake up for another hour or two after that. She'll be very tired and will spend most of the evening and night slipping in and out of sleep. You can stay and see her briefly when she first wakes up if you want, but she'll need her rest after that, so I'd suggest you go home and get some sleep of your own and come back tomorrow."

I nodded. "I'll stay and see her after the surgery before I go home. I think we'd both want that."

Doctor Walberg smiled at me. "Alright then. I'll make sure to keep you posted and let you know how everything goes."

"Thank you," I said before turning to Rose. I grasped her hand lightly. "You'll be fine, Rose, I promise. I'll see you later when you wake up, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered. She squeezed my fingers. "Thank you for coming, Bella. I knew you would."

I smiled and leaned over her. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, making her giggle again.

"I love you, Rose."

"Love you too, Bella. Oh, and tell Edward he's _pretty_!"

I laughed and saw the nurse smirk out of the corner of my eye. "Okay, I promise."

With a final smile to my best friend, I left the room, walking down the hallway back to the waiting room slowly. With every step I took, more and more of the last hours events started fully sinking in. My feet suddenly dragged behind me, my chest felt restricted and my shoulders felt heavier and heavier. My eyes started stinging and my breathing turned into laboured gasps as I desperately held the tears in.

I made it into the waiting room right as the tears welled over and fell down my cheeks in rapid succession. My eyes locked with Edward's and he was out of his seat immediately. Three determined strides brought him to me and I fell into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around me. He held me tightly as I allowed myself to break down, the tears flowing unhindered down my cheeks and soaking into his t-shirt.

The fear, anxiety, anger and relief that had churned within me since I first got the call battled it out, using my heart and mind as their fighting grounds. I had been so scared for her. So incredibly scared for her, wondering what had happened, whether or not she'd be okay... I had been so fucking scared, and the relief at finding out that she would be okay wracked through me. The intense shift in emotions took my breath away and left me completely spent.

Edward wordlessly lead me over to two chairs in a corner, sitting down with me pressed against him. I had never felt so relieved to have someone's arms around me before and I clung to him until well past the point where my tears had dried up. Never once did he pull away, never once did he act as if he was uncomfortable having a crying woman hang onto him; he just stroked my hair and dried my tears, whispering soothing nonsense in my ear.

I couldn't even imagine how I would have gotten through this without him there, and I thanked god that I hadn't been forced to find out.

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**Just a quick note to those of you reading my other story, Up To Scratch – bouncy 72 started a thread for it over on Twilighted. I'll be posting teaser there later, and there's already been an impressive amount of Twilight-men porn (we're talking Rob, Jackson, Kellan AND Billy – lots of variety there, ladies [but this reminds me – we need some Peter Porn too!]). You can find a link on my profile if you feel like checking it out. **

**Anyway, as usual, I will send out teasers for the next "Getting Lost" chapter with my review replies as soon as I have something ready. Leave a comment or two if that's something you'd like to receive. **

**Thanks for reading – I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!**

**xxx**

**/Victoria**


	7. Pillar of strength

**So... it's been a while. Sorry about that – this chapter was slow-going for me, don't really know why. BUT, it's here now for you all to read. **

**Massive amounts of love and devotion to bouncy 72, who got this chappie back to me in like two hours. You're an angel.

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**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Chapter 7: Pillar of strength**

EPOV

We had been at the hospital for five hours. Bella had been allowed to go see Rosalie after her surgery 10 minutes ago, and I was sitting in the waiting room – waiting for her, appropriately enough.

I absentmindedly leafed through an old copy of House & Garden from 2003. I had already abandoned most of my dignity by reading it cover to cover during our third hour here, but there wasn't much else for me to do right now. It was either reading, yet again, about flower arrangements for the perfect bridal shower or trying to avoid the lusty and flirtatious gazes the woman across from me shot my way all the goddamn time.

At least the flower arrangements didn't shamelessly eyefuck me in front of her husband.

I eventually threw the magazine down on Bella's vacated seat, sighing heavily. I wondered, not for the first time, how Rosalie was doing after her surgery. She had, quite honestly, looked horrible when we saw her before, but I guessed it was pretty difficult to look fantastic after being hit by a car.

It was still hard for me to believe she was a victim of a hit-and-run in the middle of the day, in front of a witness. Whoever the asshole behind the wheel was, I fucking hoped he crashed his goddamn car somewhere, preferably so that it rolled down the side of a mountain and burst into flames on the way down.

However, the most difficult thing about today had been seeing Bella break down like that after she came back from Rose's room. I could immediately tell that it was all simply becoming too much for her, and she just didn't know what the hell to feel. Her emotional dam broke, so to speak. I could just be thankful that I was there for her when it happened.

I cracked my knuckles, slowly letting my gaze wander around the overtly familiar room – avoiding Mrs. Eyefucking, of course – and trying to find something about the decor that I hadn't already noticed and memorized. I was incredibly tired of the painting hanging on the wall in front of me, so I refused to let my eyes wander there, but I gave up my search after only a few seconds. You can't spend 5 hours in a room without seeing every single, boring inch of it.

I took up studying my fingernails instead.

Just as I thought I might quite possibly lose my mind, I heard a familiar sound. My head whipped up as the clicks of Bella's heels sounded down the hallway. She appeared in the doorway, dragging a hand through her hair and immediately looking in my direction.

She walked forward slowly, sinking into her chair with a sigh.

"How's she doing?" I asked.

Bella shrugged. "Good, I think. It was hard for her to just keep her eyes open, so we didn't talk much. She's sleeping again now."

I nodded, reaching over to take her hand. She smiled gratefully at me as I squeezed her fingers.

"Okay. Well, you know what doctor Walberg said – the surgery went great."

Bella took a deep breath, filling her lungs to the brink before exhaling slowly as she nodded. There was a certain air of relief about her actions, as if she were letting all the worry drain out of her. _Breathe out the bad, breathe in the good_.

She turned to look at me again, pushing some hair behind her ear. She looked so tired.

"You ready to go?" I asked her quietly.

"Yeah," she said simply, standing with me.

We didn't speak as we made our way back down to the car. I just kept my arm tightly around her, wanting not only to feel her against me, but to make sure _she_ could feel _me_ next to her; that she could feel the support I was more than willing to give her.

"How about I drive?" I said softly when we reached her car. "We need to go to Emmett's place, and since you don't know the way..."

"Oh, right," she answered, perhaps a little absentmindedly, reaching into her purse for her keys. "Yeah, you drive."

I helped her into the passenger seat, to which she mumbled a quiet "Thank you". Her head was leaned back with her eyes shut before I had even closed the door.

I settled into the driver's seat and immediately realised a small problem.

"Uh, Bella? Do you mind if I just adjust the seat a little? I'll put it back the way it was later."

It took a few seconds for her to react. "Hmm," she asked suddenly, opening her eyes to look at me. I recognised the signs of forcing your mind back into reality when your thoughts had made it travel far away. She blinked a few times in confusion before her expression gradually cleared. She nodded haphazardly. "Oh, uh... yeah. Yeah, that's fine."

She offered me a quick smile before turning her head to the side, looking out her window. She clearly wasn't in the mindset for having a casual conversation, and it wasn't really like I wanted to bring up Rosalie's accident when it already was the proverbial pink elephant in the room. Or well, in the car.

Better to just... shut up completely. Silence never bothered me much, after all.

We arrived at Emmett's place without another word having been uttered. If not for the occasional movements of her hands – fiddling with her fingers, pushing hair behind her ear, scratching her arm – I would've thought Bella had fallen asleep.

"Hey, we're here now," I said gently, as I pulled to a stop outside Emmett's building. Normally I would have parked in the underground garage, but seeing as this was Bella's car there was no need for that.

Bella nodded as she unbuckled herself and got out of the car. She waited for me on the sidewalk while I put her seat back where it had been before. She reached out and grabbed my hand when I came up next to her.

"Edward, I just... thank you, for... for everything. For coming with me, and for dealing with my, uh... emotional breakdown." She smiled wryly, looking down at the ground between us. I raised my free hand and gently coaxed her head up with my fingers under her chin. Her smile turned a little sad, but the gratitude she was expressing still shone from her eyes. "I don't think I could have gotten through today if you hadn't been there," she whispered, squeezing my fingers tightly.

I moved my hand to cup her cheek and she pressed her face into my palm.

"I mean, it was just so much going on, you know?" She continued suddenly, as if feeling the need to explain herself to me. "First being so scared for her and not knowing what was going on or what had happened, and then the _relief_... being so relieved that she was okay, but still so incredibly angry and just... so _horrified_ at what had happened, that someone actually hit her with their car and then just drove off... I mean, I-... I can't even... and then just seeing her there, in the bed, all bruised and the scrapes and cuts, that bandage around her head and god, her leg..."

Her throat seemed to close abruptly, and she looked away as she blinked rapidly. I pulled her unresisting body closer, wrapping my arms safely around her. She almost seemed to deflate into my embrace, her muscles relaxing all at once and a huge sigh seeping through my t-shirt as she breathed out. Bella's hands snaked around my waist, grabbing onto the fabric covering my back.

Her hair tickled my face as bent my head over her, trying to get as close as possible. I held her wordlessly until she seemed to have calmed down again – when she started drawing nonsensical patterns on my back with the tips of her fingers, I figured that she was okay.

"Come on, let's go inside," I told her as I gently extracted myself from our embrace. She dragged a hand through her hair as she followed me up the steps, braiding her fingers through mine.

I knocked quickly on Emmett's door, not bothering to wait for an answer before using my key to get in.

"Hey, it's us!" I called into a cacophony of sounds – quite the usual in Casa de la Emmett. The sound system was blasting Muse, bangs and clunks were mixing together with the warbled voice of my brother and the higher voice of my daughter from the kitchen, with barks weaving through the sonic mess, indicating that Jake had decided to get in on the action. I dragged Bella with me towards its source.

Maddie was sitting up on the kitchen island as Emmett stood beside her chopping something, his back to us. Jake was running around the island, yapping to his hearts' content.

Maddie saw us first. She abruptly stopped singing along to the highly inappropriate song for her five-year old ears, lighting up like a candle.

"Hi, daddy! We're making meatballs!" She had to yell to be heard above the noise, alerting my brother to our presence. He turned around and grinned at us.

I sighed and reached for the remote control lying conveniently on the counter next to me. When the noise had been turned down to a level that allowed conversation, I guided Bella with me further into the kitchen.

"Hi, honey," I said to Maddie as I walked up to her, dropping a kiss to her forehead. "You had fun with Uncle Em?"

"Yeah, he let me borrow his camera, and we went to the park and took lots and lots and lots and lots of pictures, and I saw a baby squirrel, and a ladybug and worms, and Jake chased some ducks, and we took pictures of flowers and then Uncle Em helped me climb a tree and I didn't fall out once! And then we got some ice cream and, and I dropped the vanilla one on the ground, and Jake _ate it_!" She giggled joyously, taking her first breath of air since she began speaking at high-speed. "And Uncle Em bought me a new ice cream, and then we took some more pictures and I found a stick and we threw it for Jake, and we had alotta fun!"

"That's great, honey," I told her, raising an eyebrow at my brother. He just shrugged with a cocky grin.

Before I could kindly ask him what the hell else he gave my daughter that listed 'sugar' as its main ingredient, he turned to Bella.

"How was your friend?"

Bella cleared her throat. "She's... well, she's better now, but she had to have orthopaedic surgery. Someone..." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. It clearly wasn't easy for her to think about this. "Someone hit her with his car, outside our apartment."

Emmett put his knife down on the counter slowly, wiping his hands on a towel. "Shi-... Uh, I'm sorry to hear that." He recovered quickly from almost saying 'shit' in front of Maddie, which in this situation, I wouldn't have blamed him for doing. What had happened today had been completely shitty. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, the doctor said she'd recover just fine. I'm going back tomorrow to visit her, and then she can come home on Tuesday or Wednesday." Bella heaved a huge sigh again, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Her next words were not only mumbled, but also muffled against her palm. "Ugh, I need to fix her apartment, and talk to her about me staying with her for a while... god, I need to call her parents too..."

She continued to mumble to herself, listing everything she think of that might need to be done. I frowned as I watched her shoulders slump under the responsibilities she was piling on herself, wishing I could help her somehow but not knowing what I could offer.

"Hey, is she gonna be on crutches or like in a wheelchair right now?" Emmett asked Bella suddenly.

She looked up, seemingly surprised by the question. "Uh, yeah... yeah, she's getting crutches. Why?

"Well, I have nothing going on this week, so if you want I could help you move stuff around her apartment or whatever, make it easier for her to get around. I broke my leg once, and it was a bitc-... uh, it was really hard getting around my place before I got some friends to help me make more room."

Bella's face was blank for a few seconds as she stared at my brother. My eyes flickered back and forth between them and I couldn't seem to decide on whether to be amused by Bella's reaction or grateful to my brother for offering to help her. I would have probably done the same, but since I had to work it would've been difficult to find the time before Rose got home. With Em not having any assignments for a while, he could do what I couldn't.

"Oh, uhm... a- are you sure? I mean, that would be great, but you don't have to-"

"I wouldn't offer if I didn't feel like doing it, would I?" Emmett countered with a grin, in his usual no-bullshit manner.

Bella's mouth opened and closed a few times more before she chuckled under her breath and conceded with a nod. "Yeah, okay. That would be great. Thank you."

"No problem. Hey, you wanna stay for dinner? There's more than enough for you too."

Again, Bella looked surprised by Emmett's question and she glanced down at the counter, which was honestly filled with enough food to make meatballs for an entire football team, as she shook her head.

"No, I'm pretty tired, so I think I'll just head home. But thank you."

"Are you sure?" I asked her, concern colouring my voice without effort.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I have, you know, food... at home, uhm... anyway, I'll probably go to bed early anyway, so it's fine..." She laughed a little, shaking her head. "Sorry, I'm just... really tired."

I nodded slowly, unable to stop myself from feeling a little worried about her. "Alright, if you're sure."

"Yeah, I'm good. But thank you anyway," she said, directing the last part to Emmett, who inclined his head in a mock bow.

"Okay, well – I'll walk you out," I told her, stepping towards her.

She gave me one of her beautiful smiles before calling for Jake to follow her.

"Bye, Jake!" Maddie said, waving from the countertop. "Bella, can I play with him again soon?"

Bella stopped and directed her smile at my daughter. "Of course. I think he'd like that. You're much more fun to play with than I am, anyway," she said, winking at her.

Maddie giggled, completely delighted by Bella's praise. Emmett chuckled quietly beside her.

"Bye, Bella!" Maddie continued to giggle as we left the kitchen. Bella laughed as she waved goodbye to my little girl, walking ahead of me as we made our way into the living room.

She stopped by the front door, turning to face me as I stepped closer to her. She inhaled slowly as she closed her eyes, leaning towards me until her forehead was pressing against my chest. Her hands came up to rest against my sides, and I gently stroked her arms as I bent over and kissed her hair. I braced myself a little as she relaxed, her centre of gravity shifting towards me. All day I had been acting as a metaphorical pillar of support – I was now a physical one, too.

"Thank you," she whispered a few moments later, for the millionth time that day. She straightened herself out, giving me a sleepy smile as I cupped her cheek.

"Anytime," I murmured back before kissing her gently. The feel of her lips, so soft and responsive against my own, warmed and rejuvenated me. It was just so... _nice_... to feel this way for someone. For her. Scary, thrilling, exciting, amazing... nice. So fucking nice.

I lingered in the kiss for longer than might have been strictly necessary, but I really didn't give a shit. "Call me tomorrow," I said as we slowly pulled away, "after you visit Rose – let me know how she's doing?"

Bella nodded, squeezing my sides gently with her hands in a parting gesture. "I will."

"I'll give you Em's number and everything tomorrow, too, so you can make arrangements and all that."

"Okay. God, you must be so tired of hearing me say this now, but..." Bella let out a short chuckle, "seriously, thank you, Edward. For everything. You have no idea how much it-... how much it helped, having you there with me." She looked away for a few seconds, pale pink roses blooming in her cheeks. I stroked my thumb over the soft skin, feeling it heat under my touch. Her eyes found mine again, searchingly flickering back and forth.

"Not a lot of people would do what you did," she said slowly. "Not for someone they've known for three weeks. They'd make excuses for why they couldn't go along to the hospital... maybe not bothering with even doing that. But you just..." She trailed off with a soft sigh, shaking her head as she smiled.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Very little could have stopped me from going with you today."

"I know," she murmured, her smile turning soft and warm. A few more moments passed before she shook her head with a small laugh. "Alright, enough of this mushy stuff. This day has been emotional enough already."

I agreed with a chuckle, and with a few more murmured words between us, words of gratitude and promises of talking tomorrow, she took her dog and left.

I made my way slowly back towards the kitchen, feeling tired after such a long day. It was going to be nice to relax now, get some food and maybe take a beer with Emmett – Maddie and I didn't need to leave for a few more hours, after all.

I rolled my shoulders as I came to the kitchen, opening my mouth to ask Emmett if he wanted something to drink, but the sight in front of me stopped me in my tracks. A huge grin slowly spread over my face, and I leisurely leaned against the doorway, crossing my arms over my chest.

Maddie had relocated from the countertop to a stepping stool next to her uncle – it did very little to alleviate their height differences though, since the top of her head didn't even clear his shoulder. She was schooling him in the art of rolling meatballs, even though he had been the one to teach her in the first place. Emmett was, of course, humouring her.

"Is this too much?" he asked, grabbing a baseball sized lump of mince in his fist.

Maddie heaved an exasperated sigh, making me silently shake with laughter. She shook her head at her uncle.

"No, not that big!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." He tore off a small piece and threw it back into the bowl. "How about now?" he asked hopefully, holding up the lump in his hand.

"No!" Maddie yelled indignantly. Emmett convulsed slightly, a clear sign that he was fiercely holding back his laughter. I was having similar problems myself, my teeth firmly wedged into my lip.

"Emmy, that's too much! You can't eat that," she scolded him angrily, as if their roles were reversed, with Emmett being the five year old little kid. God, my daughter was going to be such a ballbuster when she grew up.

_Thank fuck for that_.

"What are you talking about? I can eat anything."

"No, you can't."

"Yes, I can."

"Nu-uh."

"Yuh-uh."

"_Nuu_-uh."

"_Yuuh_-uh."

"_Nu-uh_!"

"_Yuh-uh_! I once ate 50 pizzas in one hour."

"You wish!" Maddie retorted sassily in a tone she had clearly picked up from Alice at some point. I stuffed my fist into my mouth, turning slightly to press my head into the doorjamb as I desperately held my laughter in check. I heard a choking sound from Emmett, clearly a badly held-back guffaw – the sound was very nearly my undoing and I took a deep breath, filling my lungs to their limits.

_I will not laugh, I will not laugh, I will not laugh_…

"Alright then," Emmett said, his voice trembling with suppressed giggles, "you show me how it's done. Make a perfect meatball – I dare ya!"

Maddie turned to him and put both hands on her hips, staring him down like only a five-year old can. "Daddy said you can't dare me to do things anymore, because you're grown as a man!"

I exploded. I collapsed against the doorjamb, letting it support me as I broke out in a hysterical laughing fit.

I clearly remembered the day I banned Emmett from ever daring my daughter again – Alice was attacking his hair with scissors and a electric shaver in my kitchen, attempting to salvage what she could and still get every trace of bubblegum out, while I was berating him for even considering taunting Maddie by blowing giant bubbles and then daring her to pop them. The dumb idiot had been stupid enough to actually believe she wouldn't do it.

Obviously, she did, which lead me to forbidding any more dares, because Emmett was '_a grown-ass man_.' It wasn't until now that I realised that Maddie had heard us and I could only feel relief that she had misinterpreted my words as ' grown_ as a _man'.

When I started laughing, Emmett broke down too. I opened my eyes, still giggling helplessly, to see him doubled over across the counter. Maddie was frowning at us both, her head volleying back and forth in disapproval.

"Daddy, why are you laughing?" she accused me, frowning at me.

"I- I'm-m s-ss-... s-sorr-sorry-… hon- honey!" I giggled, knuckling a tear from my eye.

_Come on, Cullen, get a grip – you're a grown man. You can stop laughing_. _Just stop. Stop laughing. Deep breathes… yes, that's it. Stop laughing. See, you're calming down now, good job_.

"Okay, okay, I'm good. I'm good..." I panted as I pushed off the wall. I walked over to them, still chuckling softly under my breath, slapping Emmett on the back and leaning in to kiss Maddie on the forehead. "Sorry, honey. Didn't mean to make you angry," I joked.

"Tha's okay," she assured me before holding up a lump of meat. "You make yours."

»»◊««

"So..." Emmett began, but immediately paused to take a sip of his beer. The dull sounds of the TV made its way into the kitchen where he and I were sitting – after dinner Maddie had wanted to watch '_Finding Nemo_', which suited me and Em just fine. With after-dinner clean up all finished, we had rewarded ourselves with cold beers and some brotherly bonding at the kitchen table.

"So?" I promoted when he didn't continue, taking a long pull from my own bottle.

"Well, with all the shit that went down today, I haven't really had the opportunity to say this yet – but Bella?" He cocked an eyebrow at me and grinned. "I like her."

I chuckled, nodding slowly. Of course he liked her. She was Bella – who didn't like her? "I knew you would."

"Allow me to be sappy here for a sec, man, but I'm glad you two met. You've been alone for too long."

I glanced up at him quickly, taking in his serious expression and the look in his eyes that I was all too familiar with – I knew where this was going. I nodded silently as I dropped my gaze to the bottle in my hand. I started picking at the label, feeling slightly annoyed when only small strips of it came off. It was extremely unsatisfying.

"Look, Edward – I know you don't like talking about this, but come on, man... it's been five years now. You can't blame us for worrying."

I struggled to dial back my frustrated sigh. This wasn't a topic I was very fond of, but unfortunately my family seemed unable to let it go. I knew they had been worried about me – I was frequently reminded of that fact by their prodding and invasive questions as to the state of my 'love life' throughout the years – but that didn't mean I had to like it.

"Can we just... not, Emmett?" I asked, attempting to put a stop to this conversation before it had a chance to even actually happen. "Things with Bella are still really young – it's complicated and we need to move slowly and carefully through this. Yes, it is great that I've finally met someone I was willing to take this chance with, but it's just... it's too early for _this_ conversation, okay? It can still go either way, and I'd rather not make it a bigger deal than it is just because I've been single for five years."

I finally looked up at him, levelling him a serious frown. "I like Bella – a lot – and I want things between us to work out, because there's something about her that I-... fuck, I can't even put my finger on what the hell that 'something' is, but it... works for us?" I shrugged, unsatisfied with the description but unable to think of a better one. "I feel like I've known her longer than three weeks, and just being with her is so fucking _easy_, Em – you have no idea."

I looked into my brother's understanding eyes for a few more seconds before I started studying the wood grain of his table. "But there's still a chance I'll fuck it up, and I'd appreciate it if you – all of you – could just pretend like this isn't such a big deal? Maybe give us a bit more than these three weeks to establish our relationship before it's taken so seriously?"

I paused to sigh with frustration. "Look, I appreciate the concern, and I know you guys are just happy I'm actually dating at all, but it almost feels like everyone thinks Bella is the answer to your prayers and that she'll be the love of my life and that I've found my soulmate and shit. I don't know if that's true – hell, maybe I have!" I threw a hand up in the air, "but can we give it a bit more time, please? I mean, fuck, call me an old lady, but I almost feel like you guys are gonna jinx the whole thing before it can't even properly begin!"

I slumped back in my chair, feeling kinda good about having unloaded some of my more hidden fears about this thing with Bella. It wasn't something I liked thinking about, which led to my fears still being slightly undefined and hard to pinpoint, but I think the whole 'jinxing' thing was at the core of it all. Or that I was going to fuck it up somehow – either one seemed likely.

Emmett's eyes were burrowing into me searchingly, staying quiet for several moments as he took in what I had said and no doubt analysed it as only he could. Finally he nodded slowly, leaning back in his chair again. He shrugged casually at me and took a sip of his beer.

"Fine. I'll lay off for a while. I see your point. You might have a hard time convincing mom or Alice about it, but I hear ya."

I tipped my head. "Thank you."

I turned my head as I heard Maddie's laugh from the living room – one of my favourite sounds in the world. I glanced over at the clock, seeing that it was nearly her bedtime now. We would have to leave soon.

Emmett quietly noted where my attention had wandered and he leaned forward over the table again. He took a deep breath as if to speak as I looked back at him, but he seemed to hesitate a little.

"What?" I asked him, even though I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to know. There wasn't much that made Emmett hesitate.

"I-... I'm assuming you've told Bella... about Emily?" He was tentative as he asked, only glancing up at me briefly to judge my reaction.

My reaction wasn't good. As usual, I tensed up at the use of _her_ name, that bitter wave of old resentment washing over me as it always did.

"I've told Bella the basics, yes," I all but growled as I carefully put my bottle down on the table. If I held on to it, I might be inclined to, oh I don't know... imagine _her_ face on it as I hurled it against a wall, laughing gleefully as it smashed and exploded into thousands of tiny shards.

Hearing Maddie's beautiful, happy laugh thrilling in from the living room again didn't really help matters. My resentment towards Emily only intensified as the injustices she had put _my_ daughter through was brought to the forefront of my mind, a place in my brain that I generally tried very hard to exclude Emily from.

My feelings towards my ex-wife were complicated and varied. When thinking only of myself, I was happy she left. I didn't love her anymore, she didn't love me, and we were incredibly unhappy together. So yes, in some ways I was actually relived that she wasn't in my life at this point.

But that was only a small part of it. My happiness didn't mean much to me if Maddie wasn't happy too – and growing up without a mother wasn't exactly easy – but it still wasn't like I wished Emily had stayed around. She was never cut out to be a mother, and if she hadn't left... well, I didn't even want to fucking think about what our lives would have looked like today. Maybe it _was_ better for Maddie to not have a mother around who clearly wanted to be someplace else, without the responsibility of being a parent. There was no doubt in my mind that Emily would have showed her resentment, anger, bitterness... her whatever, on a daily basis had she stayed, and the psychological damage that could have caused Maddie wasn't something I liked to think about.

If Emily had left because of _me_ – _only_ me – that would have been fine. We could have worked something out where Maddie at least got to see both her parents on a regular basis, and Emily and I could both have moved on with our lives, separately. But she didn't leave _just_ because of me... and that's what was so fucking unfair about the whole thing. She left because she didn't want to be my wife or Maddie's mother. That was something I still couldn't fully understand, or ever forgive.

As I said – my feelings towards my ex-wife were fucking complicated and multi-faceted.

"Was there a reason you asked?" I wondered, speaking through clenched teeth. My reaction to this particular topic couldn't be helped, and it was always the same. I guess I could be grateful that my family knew it wasn't actually them I was pissed at.

Emmett inhaled slowly, throwing me a measured look. "Does 'the basics' include... the other stuff? I mean... after?"

"No, that particular topic hasn't really come up yet," I spat out as my irritation actually shifted to include my brother. Wasn't it enough that he was mentioning Emily, forcing me to think about _her_? Did he have to talk about the other she-devil too?

"No, I can see why it wouldn't," Emmett mused, undisturbed by my tone. "Mom told me about the phone call last week."

I buried my head in my hands, leaning my elbows on the table as I viciously scrubbed my face. _Slowly count to ten, Cullen, and calm the fuck down – then maybe you won't pick up the chair you're currently sitting in and start throwing it around the kitchen in a fit of murderous rage. One... two, three... four..._

"Yes. She called... again," I finally managed to say.

Emmett was silent for a few seconds, digesting the implications no doubt. "Same shit as always?"

I chuckled darkly. "Isn't it always the same shit? It's always the same fucking _stubborn_ shit. I don't fucking know how I can be anymore clear about this, but the goddamn idiot can't seem to fucking get it through that thick head of hers!"

I tensed as Maddie laughed again, blissfully unaware of the tension and anger emanating from her father in thick waves. I raked my hands through my hair, breathing slowly and trying to relax. Eventually I let my arms drop, my palms dully thwacking the table top. I looked at my brother, suddenly feeling mentally exhausted.

"I just don't know, Em. I'm getting really fucking tired of having to dodge phone-calls and emails, of having to actually _defend_ myself to her. What happens when Maddie's old enough to start answering the phone, huh? What the hell am I supposed to do then, if I'm not home to intercept it? I just don't understand why the fucking woman can't just... respect my decision and leave us alone. She just doesn't get it."

My anger was slowly seeping out of me. I only felt tired. Tired, defeated... helpless. Just like I always did whenever this problem was shoved in my face.

Emmett sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, man. I shouldn't have said anything."

I looked up at him and smiled ruefully. "No, it's okay, Em. It's not your fault."

He nodded in acknowledgement of my words just as I heard the familiar sounds of Maddie's footsteps nearing us. Seconds later she appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, yawning adorably. I smiled at the sight of her, turning in my seat to face her properly. I felt the knot of tension between my shoulder blades slowly dissolve as I looked at my little angel. She was healthy, happy and blissfully unaware of my occasional struggle to keep her that way, and that was all that fucking mattered. As long as she was happy, I could deal with anything.

"Hey, honey – movie over?" I asked as she made her way to me.

"Yeah," she said sleepily, reaching up with her arms. I lifted her into my lap with ease, hugging her close.

"You ready to go home then?"

"Mmhm," she mumbled into my neck as she snuggled up to me, her tiny arms wrapped securely around my neck.

"Alright, we'll leave in a minute," I said quietly as I rubbed her back.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I get a fish like Nemo?"

I closed my eyes as I heard Emmett quietly giggling. I really didn't think she'd hold on to the idea of getting a fish beyond mentioning it at the restaurant. Clearly, I had no such luck.

"Why do you want a fish, Maddie?"

"They're funny."

I suppressed a groan. "We'll see, honey. I'm not deciding this now."

She made an inarticulate whiney noise against my shoulder, but other than that she offered no protest to my non-answer. _Thank god_.

"When I grow up I wanna take pictures like uncle Emmy," she said suddenly, apropos nothing.

"You do?" I asked indulgently. Yesterday she had wanted to be a ballerina. The day before that it was a hairdresser. Last week she also professed a life-long dream of being a circus princess. If she actually ended up being a professional photographer, I would be very surprised.

"Yeah, it was fun in the park."

"Well then, we'll have to see what we can do about that, won't we, honey?"

"Yeah..." she mumbled. I felt her slowly start to relax into me, her tiny body growing heavier and warmer against my chest. I knew she'd fall asleep soon. This told me I should be moving, I should be taking her home and putting her to bed so she could get some rest, but just I couldn't bring myself to do that yet.

Maddie used to sleep on me constantly when she was a baby. With Emily being so... distant, I guess you could say, I would always worry about Maddie while I was at work. I didn't know if Emily was showing her enough affection or picking her up when she cried or stuff like that. So every day when I came home, the first thing I'd do would be to cuddle with Maddie. I'd relax on the couch with my daughter sleeping soundly on my chest, her head over my heart.

It was a way to avoid arguing with Emily, too. If words between us got heated, Maddie would wake up and cry, quickly putting an end to our arguments. It was a relief for me, personally – after working long hours at the office, the last thing I wanted to do was listen to my wife bitch and moan about everything and nothing while I attempted to defend myself against her attacks.

Then when it was just the two of us – just me and Maddie – I cherished those moments even more. Having my baby girl sleeping on me had been an act of comfort for the both of us, but as she grew older it happened less and less. Now it felt like a rare occurrence for her to drift off to sleep cuddled up to me like this, so I couldn't help but want to prolong the moment as much as possible.

She nodded off after a few minutes, but it wasn't long until she awoke with a small start, lifting her head from my shoulders. I reluctantly took that as a sign that cuddle-time was over for tonight, and a short while later we were heading back to our apartment.

Maddie was half-asleep as I got her ready for bed, barely able to keep her eyes open. By the time I turned back the covers for her, I almost had to lift her into the bed since she was too tired to crawl in herself.

She mumbled out something vaguely similar to "Night, daddy," as I tucked her in and I chuckled softly under my breath – her lips had barely even moved, but I appreciated the effort nonetheless.

"Night, honey," I murmured as I kissed her forehead, brushing a strand of her loose hair from her cheek. I sat on the edge of the bed as she slowly fell asleep, listening as her tiny breaths became deeper and eventually evened out into the slow rhythm of slumber.

As I sat there, gazing at my daughter, my eyes were drawn to the framed print hanging over her bed. The sleeping gryphon reminded me, as it always did, of my promise to myself to always protect and guard Maddie, to always make sure she was taken care of to the best of my abilities.

It was a promise I always looked back upon whenever I dodged unwanted phone calls and deleted emails from the she-devil. That promise was the reason behind my actions, and I'd be damned if I'd ever be forced to break it because of that idiotic, stubborn witch.

* * *

**If you don't read ****Up To Scratch****, you can skip this part: Since I'm not sure if I'll have an update ready in time, I thought I'd just mention this here quickly: Scratcherella has been nominated for "Best Bella" in the Giggle/Snort awards – however, only the top nominated stories will go on to the actual voting round, so she'll need all the nominations she can get. If you feel like it, you can go here: www (.) gigglesnortawards (.) mmmboptastic (.) com and nominate her. Nominations are open until 12****th**** May. Thank you. **

**As always, I send out a teaser for the next chapter with my review replies, when I have one ready. **

**Thank you guys so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. **

**/Victoria **


	8. Operation MatchMaking

**Oh, hey... **_**really**_** long time, no see. If you're reading my other story, you will know that this delay was caused by Scratcherella and Drugstoreworkerward's inability to shut up; I had a few chapters of that which I just needed to get out of my system. **

**BUT – DILFward is back now and I won't continue to bore you with my lame excuses. Hope you enjoy it. **

**As always, massive amounts of love to bouncy 72 for her continuous help, and ALSO to the two new members of team-... what-ever-this-is, ****OLVamptramp**** and magnessina. Any mistakes left in here are entirely mine, because these ladies are pretty thorough.

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**

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended. Any coping or reproduction of this work is not permitted without my express written authorisation.

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**Chapter 8: Operation Match-Making**

BPOV

"_Hello?_"

"Hi, Edward, it's me."

"_Bella, hey. How are you? How's Rosalie?_"

I smiled at the sound of his voice coming through the receiver. I threw my feet up on the coffee table and relaxed into the couch, settling in comfortably in preparation for my favourite daily event. It was a quite recent addition to my Favourite Daily Events list – which was, admittedly, a very short list – but it had easily taken the number one spot. It all had to do with time-limitations, on its most basic level.

Given how rarely Edward and I saw each other during the week (as in, almost never), we seemed to have taken to the first natural alternative in our search for some way to connect: the phone.

Calling it a 'quite recent' addition to my Favourite Daily Events list was actually a bit of an understatement. It hadn't even been a week since we first started doing it, but it was, nonetheless, a very nice habit to have fallen into. The most obvious reason for labelling it as a 'nice' habit was of course that it provided Edward and I with that elusive connection we both wanted but didn't really get during the week. The other, more secret reason, was that Edward's voice had some very _interesting_ effects on my body, to put it mildly.

It was very nice to talk to him about his day and stuff like that, but yeah... hearing his melted-warm-caramel-over-smooth-vanilla-ice-cream-voice was definitely a huge bonus of our nightly calls. I couldn't help but secretly smirk at the thought.

"I'm fine, and Rose's doing better. She'll be coming home tomorrow."

"_Oh, that's great. So the doctors are giving her the all-clear, or whatever? Have you talked to Em yet, about helping- Maddie, can you quiet down a little, please?_" My smile grew larger as he suddenly started speaking away from the phone, directing his voice to his daughter instead. This always happened during our phone calls, since Maddie was never far away from her dad. I thought it was adorable. Edward didn't quite agree with me. "_Daddy's on the phone... no, I said qui-... dinner will be ready soon... yes, I know you're hungry, but I can't make the potatoes boil any faster just because you want food now. No. Maddie, stop it, I said no, okay?... Thank you, honey..._" There was a slight pause before his voice once again became clearer and louder as he turned his attention back to me."_Hey, sorry about that – hungry girls are very impatient sometimes,_" he said, chuckling in his apologetic way, like he always did after interruptions like this one.

"No, it's fine. I'm sorry, am I calling at a bad time? If you're making dinner..."

"_No, no, I can talk, it's fine._" I heard some banging coming through on his end, which I could only assume were pots or something. I laughed as he suddenly swore under his breath, hissing a curse at the stove.

"You okay? What happened?" I giggled, picturing him in the middle of his kitchen, glaring at an innocent frying pan.

"_Yeah,_" he answered grudgingly, "_apparently I just forgot that touching hot things hurts_."

I laughed louder at that.

"_It's not nice to laugh at wounded people, Bella,_" Edward admonished me, but the obvious smile in his voice took away the hard edge of his words.

"Oh, pshh, wounded? You don't sound wounded to me."

"_Well, how would you know? You can't see my hand, you don't know how badly I burned myself_," he played along, making me smirk.

"You didn't even put your hand under some water or anything!" I laughed, leaning my head back and relishing in our teasing.

There was silence coming through Edward's end for a few seconds until suddenly, the unmistakable sounds of a tap being turned on met my ear. I laughed loudly as I heard water blasting into his sink, soon followed by his own chuckles.

"_See? I'm mortally wounded. I'll never regain full use of my hand again._"

"Oh, shut up," I giggled, while at the same time actually thanking god that he was just kidding around. I loved Edward's hands, because the things they did to me were just pleasurable beyond comprehension, and if he couldn't use them anymore I would be devastated.

_You're a saint, Swan – so what you're saying is that if Edward lost the use of his hands for real, the most tragic thing about that would be that he could no longer pleasure you repeatedly? Great. Yeah, they'll be calling you for your introduction into sainthood any day now._

"_Sorry_," he laughed, turning the tap off. "_Yeah, no, I'm not hurt at all._"

I snorted, shaking my head at him in that way you do, despite being on the phone.

"_So, Rose is- oh, for god's sake... Bella, hang on._" His voice once again became distant and muffled as he shouted away from the phone."_Maddie! What are you doing? I can hear you doing something in there, and I'm not sure I like that sound!_"

I chuckled to myself as I heard him, listening intently for these sounds he apparently didn't like. I didn't even want to think about what those sounds might be, or how Maddie was causing them. The little girl's voice carried indistinctly through to my end as she spoke back to her father. Whatever she said caused Edward to emit a soft sigh of frustration.

"_I said no, Maddie, and I won't tell you again. Dinner will be ready in 15 minutes – you can wait until then, okay?_" There was another pause, in which I assume Maddie either ignored her father or listened to what he was telling her, before Edward once again redirected his attention back to me. "_Bella? You still there?_" He chuckled. "_Sorry – she's been like this all day. She doesn't want to sit still or behave for more than two minutes, which is incredibly exhausting._"

"I can imagine," I laughed with a slightly horrified grimace. I wasn't exactly that familiar with kids, but I did know that if they weren't behaving, you definitely had your work cut out for you. My sympathy and respect for Edward grew by about a thousand points. Poor guy.

"_I'm hoping getting some food in her will make her calm down a little – believe me, sleepy kids are always preferable._"

"Wouldn't kids that are already asleep be even _more_ preferable?"

He laughed. "_True, very true._" His laughter turned into a wistful sigh as he no doubt imagined the peace and quiet he'd have once Maddie went to bed. I smiled widely and once again shook my head at him. I was so smitten – even the most innocent of gestures from him seemed monumentally adorable, hot, sexy or cute to me. "_So, Rose is coming home tomorrow?_"

I chuckled under my breath at his not-so-subtle subject change. "Yeah, she still has a slight fever, but the doctor said that's kinda normal – apparently patients usually recover quicker once they get out of the hospital and can relax in their own homes again, or something."

"_Alright, that makes sense. Are you gonna give Em a call?_"

"Yeah, I need a big, burly man to move around Rose's crap."

Edward let out a surprised guffaw. "_Her crap? Is that really any way to talk about your friend's possessions?_"

"Yeah, well, you haven't seen her apartment – it's filled with a bunch of crap. Navigating through it is like a maze. Rose won't be able to do that on crutches."

"_You're such a good friend_," he teased me as be banged around with something in his kitchen.

"I know," I answered cheekily, actually twirling some hair around my finger, like I was 16 years old and talking to my boyfriend on the phone. It was a rather generous stretch of the imagination, in more ways than one.

Not only had I never actually experienced having a boyfriend at 16 – although I guess it's not that different from being 17 and having a boyfriend, which I did – but the connotation that I thought of Edward as my boyfriend was a little... premature. It was just too early to start calling Edward my boyfriend, I thought – I'd only known the man for just over three weeks.

However, I was pretty sure that as time went on, my views on the matter would change a little. After all, there was that little tingling sensation, and the _smitten_-feelings that I got in my chest when I thought about him, and the way my heart jumped just a little when someone said his name, and how my breath would hitch when he laughed and how even the most innocent touch between us made my blood surge to the surface of my skin, that suggested that if Edward were to ever be my boyfriend, I'd pretty much be the luckiest bitch alive.

Can you have boyfriends when you're 28 years old? It felt like there should be a more grown-up term for it, like... something more grown-up. Whatever that meant.

Sometimes my brain was a very weird place to be.

"_Alright, I guess you want Em's number, then?_"

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks," I told him, picking up my pen and a post-it note to quickly scribble down the digits he spouted off.

"_So, was that all you wanted? My brother's number?_" he teased me, just as I heard what sounded like plates hitting wood – I could only assume he was laying the table.

"Yeah, it was actually. Thanks! Bye," I teased him back, going completely silent.

"_Oh, ha-fucking-ha, Bella, very funny_," he chuckled as few more bangs and clinks and pings carried through to my end.

I toyed with the idea of staying quiet, just to fuck with him a little, but I couldn't keep my girly giggle in for more than a few seconds. I was so lame.

He snorted and I just barely managed to hold in a lustful sigh. Even the man's snorts were amazingly attractive.

_Yeah... I'm _so_ lame._

"_Since my brother is apparently all you care about now, maybe I should just leave you alone so you can put your moves on him_."

I laughed and made a grimace that I'm sure contorted my face into something very unattractive – I was glad Edward wasn't there to see it.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but _eeeewww_." I shuddered a little, for shits and giggles. Not that there was anything wrong with Emmett, but seriously – once you go Edward, you don't go back.

_Ugh, Swan, stop being lame_.

Edward laughed hard and loudly. "_No, I won't take that the wrong way – I share very little DNA with that man_."

"Let me guess, you only share the good parts?" I ribbed, twirling the pen between my fingers.

"_Yes – how did you know_?" he answered with mock surprise as I heard him open a drawer.

"It's a gift," I said with a shrug before biting my lip through a grin.

He chuckled down his nose. "_A gift, huh? I hope it isn't the kind of gift that could come back to bite me in the ass._"

"What do you mean?"

"_Well, I'm assuming your gift is a lot like mind-reading – you know things without anyone having to tell you. That could be quite dangerous, you know. What if I have secrets that I need to keep from you, hm?_"

"Do you? Have secrets?" I was only being half-serious. Part of me was kinda scared that he did have secrets, despite the teasing tone of his voice; secrets that he wouldn't or couldn't share with me. If he _did_, it obviously made me wonder what those secrets were and why they had to be kept from me. There wasn't anything wrong with keeping secrets – god knows I had a certain secret I wasn't completely comfortable sharing with him yet – but his comment definitely made me curious.

"_Maybe I do, maybe I don't_," he said slyly – I could practically hear the self-satisfied, crooked grin in his voice. I scoffed.

"Well, maybe I have secrets too."

"_Wouldn't surprise me_."

"Oh yeah? What if my secret was that I used to be a man? That wouldn't surprise you?"

"_Well, if that were true, I would be very surprised, that's true. However, I know for a fact that you've never been a man, so your argument fails_."

"How do you know 'for a fact'?"

"_First of all, I'm pretty sure my dear brother-in-law would have told me that the woman I just started dating, who happens to be his childhood-best-friend, used to be a guy – Jasper's kinda neat like that. Secondly, the plastic surgeon who turned you into a chick must have been fantastic, because your boobs certainly don't feel fake to me_."

I gasped, torn between shock and laughter. "I can't believe you just said that!"

"_Said what?_"

"About my boobs!" I laughed, amused disbelief colouring my voice.

"_What? You have amazing boobs – no way are they fake_."

"I think that's simultaneously one of the weirdest and kindest compliments I've ever been given."

"_It's a gift_," he teased, using my words from before and making me laugh again.

"It's a much better gift than mine."

Right then, a loud and high-pitched scream could be heard from his end and Edward muffled a curse.

"_Maddie! Don't run around like that! Would you-... No, don't- Maddie, stop screaming. Why are you screaming? Maddie! I said, stop running arou-... Maddie! I already told you: no-... Could you stop running, please? Go wash up for din-... no running, Maddie! Go wash up for dinner. Now, please. And no more screaming, alright?_"

There were a few seconds of silence, through which I pressed my lips together tightly.

_Don't laugh, Swan, don't laugh. Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh..._

Edward sighed, a drawn-out and exhausted sigh. "_I really can't wait for bedtime_."

A small fit of giggles made it past my lips, but I stifled them quickly. Not that it helped much – I could still feel more giggles just waiting to burst free, but I really didn't want to laugh right in his face when he had an overhyped, possibly-tantrum-throwing child on his hands, because I was pretty sure he wouldn't like that very much.

"I'm sorry," I pressed out, my voice quivering with barely-restrained giggles.

He groaned, a sound half-way between resignation and amusement. "_Yeah, yeah. Look, I hate to cut this short, but..._"

"You have dinner to finish and I have your brother to call," I completed his sentence for him, feeling a small twinge of disappointment at having to end our conversation. I was having so much fun just talking to him like this.

"_Yeah, exactly. Call me tomorrow? Let me know how it went with Rosalie and everything?_"

"Absolutely. And, uhm... well, good luck with Maddie. I hope she calms down, for your sake."

"_Thanks_," he answered wryly before chuckling softly down his nose. "_Anyway, I should go. Talk to you tomorrow, Bella_." He said my name softly, wistfully – I fantasised that he wished he didn't have to say goodbye, or that he was here with me. I wanted both of those things, to the point where the twinge of disappointment turned into a small, sad, achy tug in my chest.

"Bye, Edward," I said, just as softly and wistfully as he had. He could fantasise about what that meant all he wanted. I could only hope his fantasies where somewhat along the same wavelengths as mine.

"_Bye_," he repeated before we both hung up after a few seconds of longing silence.

I let my phone drop to my side and stared up at the ceiling for a while. I didn't feel like calling Emmett just yet. Not while I allowed myself a few minutes to be depressed about having to end my conversation with Edward. I didn't care if it came across as pathetic – no one was there to judge me anyway, so why would it matter? I could pout all I wanted.

Small phone-conversations like that one just didn't feel sufficient anymore. I just wanted_ more_, all the time: I wanted to be closer to him and spend more time with him. I wanted to get to know him better and have him know me better in return. I wanted to cuddle up on a couch and watch a movie, and then have that movie fade into background noise as he and I started a heavy make-out session on said couch. I wanted to cook dinner with him, take a walk with him, read a book in bed while he tried to sleep with the light still on. I wanted to go grocery shopping with him, I wanted to argue over what to watch on TV, I wanted to see him every day and not have to be content with only hearing his voice over the phone during the weekdays.

Sometimes, taking it slow _really_ sucked.

««◊»»

"Okay, I think that's the last of it," Emmett grunted, shoving Rosalie's sofa the final few inches towards the wall before stepping back to survey his work.

We'd been going at it for almost two hours at this point, trying to figure out the most efficient way to redecorate Rosalie's apartment – she really did have a massive amount of unnecessary crap. I mean, what kind of self-respecting single woman actually needed two couches and three oversized chairs grouped around a massive coffee table in her living room? The Rosalie-kind, apparently.

Then there was the matter of moving things she might need but which were on a high shelf to a more reasonable height – since she couldn't exactly use a stepping stool or anything like she usually did, we had to make sure everything was within reach for her.

This included her wardrobe.

Emmett and I had not been able to stop staring in horror when we first stepped into her walk-in closet. _Walk-in_. It wasn't even supposed to be used as a closet – it was a damn office to begin with. Since I was a sensible person, I used my office as a storage space for crap I never use. Rose, however, clearly felt her need for ample clothing space far out-weighed the pros of having a 'I-don't-know-where-else-to-put-this-crap-so-I'll-just-throw-it-in-here' room.

Then add to that that everything was organised into type – as in, shirts, dresses, skirts and pants – and then by colour, and she had box after box lining those high-shelves filled with various accessories, like hats and gloves and scarves and freaking sunglasses.

We had to find space for all these things somewhere on a more accessible height-level while still maintaining Rose's insane organisation. Despite the fact that she'd never met Emmett, I was pretty sure she'd cause irreversible damage to his nads using her crutches if we messed up her closet too much. I didn't even want to think about what she might do to me.

To say that it had required both of our collective brain power to figure out a plan of attack would be a massive understatement.

I sighed and collapsed into the newly moved couch, completely exhausted. "Rosalie so owes me for this," I groaned, turning my face up to the ceiling as Emmett plopped down beside me. I turned my head in his direction. "And you – she definitely owes you. You should get her to buy you dinner or something," I added, giving him a gentle poke in his very impressive bicep.

_Very_ impressive bicep. Like... _incredibly_ impressive bicep.

My view on Emmett's bicep would never get back to Edward.

"Yeah, dinner would be nice," Emmett answered with a snort. "It would be even nicer to meet her first though," he said slyly, winking at me.

I laughed. "Yeah, it'd make it kinda awkward if you had to introduce yourself at the restaurant as 'the guy who organised your closet'."

"I think that sounds like a great first impression," he joked and I laughed again.

As I looked at him, smiling a huge, goofy smile that seemed almost contradictory to his massive size and appearance, I suddenly started wondering. Imagining. Planning...

What if Rose and Emmett really _did_ go on a date? Like, a real one, where Emmett would pick her up and tell her she looked nice when he saw her – because she _would_ look nice; her huge closet would ensure that – and they'd go to a fancy restaurant where they'd talk about their careers and interests and got to know each other? Wouldn't they most likely hit it off amazingly?

I mean, I knew that Rose was slightly picky when it came to guys and whatever, but after spending the day with Emmett, I was pretty sure she'd like him. He seemed like her type, or at least like someone who could handle her when she entered one of her more... _extreme_... moods. Also, hadn't she, in her drugged-out-of-her-mind-state at the hospital, professed a wish to find her own Edward?

If she wanted her own Edward, wasn't Edward's biological cousin a very good place to start? They did share the good genes, after all.

I surreptitiously checked Emmett out – in a very clinical and objective way, of course – as he closed his eyes and relaxed a little. I mean, he was cute. Handsome, _really_ tall, with _huge_ muscles and aforementioned impressive biceps. Plus, he had these incredibly adorable dimples when he laughed and he was really funny.

He was no Edward, obviously, but it wasn't like there could logically be more than one Edward at a time. I was pretty sure it would cause such a disturbance in the balance of nature that the world would end if _two_ beings of such perfection walked the face of the Earth at the same time.

However, Emmett was probably a very nice alternative.

He must have sensed my gaze on him, because he cracked one of his eyes open a sliver to look back at me.

"What?" he asked, a slight edge of suspicion outlining his voice.

"Nothing," I murmured with a small smile – no need to raise his suspicions. I was quickly getting completely caught up in the idea of match-making and the last thing I wanted was for Emmett to think I was up to no good.

_Okay, Swan, we can do this. Just keep your calm, and everything will be fine_.

I glanced down at my watch quickly, acting nonchalant.

"Alright, I need to go pick up Rose – seems like we finished just in time," I announced with a bright smile, slapping my thighs a little before rising to my feet. "I really appreciate your help today, Emmett, seriously. I know Rose will want to thank you personally too, now that she'll be able to reach her precious scarves without needing help," I joked, trying to drop a few small hints about Rose's character as an independent woman as well as the fact that they should meet in person.

Whether or not those hints were any good... well, I suppose that was up for debate.

Emmett followed my lead and rose from the couch, ruffling his curly hair. "Oh, right. Well, uh, give her my... what do you call it? Well-wishes or something?" He laughed to himself, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. It took me a few seconds to realise that he was actually waiting for an answer.

"Uh... yeah, sure," I said with a hint of confusion which only seemed to amuse him more.

"Come on, you're the writer here – you're supposed to know these things."

"What, words?"

"Yeah, you know, when people don't know what word they're looking for, shouldn't writers kinda be able to help them out?"

"I'm not a dictionary."

"True, but I'm still pretty sure your vocabulary is just a bit bigger than mine."

"Yeah, probably, but that still doesn't make me a dictionary."

"How about a thesaurus?"

"What? No."

"Are you sure? It would really come in handy; I forget words all the time. Never did like books that much, to be honest. I was always _way_ more into art and stuff."

I stared at him. How did we get into this conversation? "What are you suggesting, that I follow you around and fill in the gaps of your conversations?" And more importantly, why was I continuing it?

"Yeah, that'd be great. I could pay you like, 10 bucks an hour."

I stared at him some more before speaking. "You're a very strange man."

"People keep telling me that, but I honestly can't see it myself."

He shrugged. I stared even more.

"How about I just tell Rose you wish her a speedy recovery? Will that do?"

Emmett snapped his fingers excitedly before pointing at me. "Yes! Exactly, that'd be great."

I shook my head as I started walking away from him, heading towards the door. I was wracking my brain, trying to come up with a feasible way to _subtly_ suggest he meet Rosalie, sometime soon. It was pretty hard to think of a situation where the two of them could get together in a natural way, without having the whole 'we-were-totally-set-up-for-this'-elephant stomping about in the background. And I couldn't exactly just invite him over one day and be like 'hey, this is Edward's brother who helped re-decorate your apartment – he's really nice, why don't you thank him?'

_This match-making business is much harder than crappy TV-series makes it look. _

Emmett followed me to the door, whistling amiably to himself. Despite the cheerful tune he was producing, I felt myself growing unjustifiably annoyed with him. Why couldn't he like, just offer to come to the hospital with me so he could meet Rose and get it over with? It would make my life so much easier.

But _noooo_, they had to go and make everything really complicated for me to figure out. Selfish bastards.

"Alright, you ready to go?" Emmett asked, hand on the door. At my nod he stepped out into the hallway as I dug my keys out of my pocket.

Then, just as I stepped out of Rose's apartment and turned to lock the door, I spotted Emmett's messenger bag resting casually against the shoe-rack inside. Inspiration hit me like a lightning bolt, but I instantly started to argue with myself about whether or not I could do what my bolt of inspiration had told me to do.

_You only have a second to decide, Swan. Just do it – it will make your life really easy if all goes according to plan! Come on, what do you have to lose? Oh, but no, can you really be so shrewd and calculating and, and-... cunning? What if it doesn't work? What if it-... oh, seems like your body is making the decision for you Swan, you're closing the door now! Okay, well, seems like I'm just going with it._

An irrational punch of nervousness hit my stomach as I closed the door and locked it, without the slightest bit of outward hesitation on my part. And as I turned the key, I effectively held Emmett's bag – which probably had his camera and other important stuff in it that guys have in their bags – hostage inside Rosalie's apartment.

I was a bag-kidnapper. I kidnapped Emmett's bag. A bag he would have to retrieve at some later point.

A bag he would retrieve when Rose was _here_, at her apartment... and since he came all this way back here to retrieve his bag, it would be strange of him to at least not say hello to Rose, right?

_Right_.

««◊»»

"Thank god this building has an elevator," Rose praised as she waited for me to open her front door. She leaned heavily on her crutches, keeping her injured leg off the floor.

I glanced over at her with a smile as I stuck the key in the lock. "We'd have to hire someone who's only task would be to carry you up and down the stairs when you had to leave," I joked, pushing the door open for her.

She clonked through it slowly, taking every step cautiously. I didn't blame her at all for being extra careful – god knows I'd be terrified of falling over and injuring my leg again for the few days it would take me to get used to it all, and Rose was much more graceful than I was.

She snorted at my suggestion. "As long as he's really hot, I wouldn't mind."

I laughed and tried to act nonchalant even as my eyes quickly swept over Emmett's messenger bag. I bet he could definitely take on the job – not only was he hot, but he also had those _very_ impressive biceps.

I still hadn't heard from him about the bag, and it had been over an hour since I left to pick up Rose. I was going to give him another 30 minutes to contact me before I called him myself, proclaiming in a surprised and apologetic voice that I'd found his bag and that he'd better come over and get it.

I'd never been the greatest actor in the world, but I could manage to tell a lie or two sometimes. Hopefully Emmett would fall for my act and not call me out on kidnapping his possessions in an attempt to fix him up with my best friend, because well, that would be embarrassing.

I helped Rose get settled in on the couch, piling pillows and cushions all around her, before retreating to the kitchen to fix up a nice lunch for her. And by nice lunch I mean cookies, brownies, a box of chocolates and a milkshake.

You couldn't tell me I wasn't a good friend. This stuff would be pure ambrosia for her after having been forced to eat hospital food for three days.

Then the phone-call I had been waiting for came in. _Emmett_. I took a deep, calming breath before answering in a cheerful voice.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, Bella, it's Emmett. Uhm, this might sound a little weird, but are you back from the hospital yet?_"

"Yeah, we just got back. Why?" I asked with just the perfect amount of confusion.

"_Well, I can't seem to find my bag anywhere and I was just wondering if maybe I forgot it there when we left?_"

"Oh," I said, arranging a few cookies in a nice pattern on a plate. "Well, let me have a look around."

I walked around a little, passing Rose in the living room. She gave me a quizzical look to which I just shook my head, trying to act like normal.

"_I think I dropped it by the door when I came over earlier, so it might still be there,_" Emmett supplied and I grinned secretively to myself.

"Oh, right, hang on," I said as I walked through the hall. "Oh, I see it. Yeah, it's here," I said with feigned emotions.

"_Oh, thank fuck! I was on the verge of freaking out here – I really need that bag_."

"Do you need it now?"

"_Yeah, I have a few things for work in there that I have to go over before tomorrow. Listen, is it alright if I just stop by and pick it up now? I won't stay long_."

"Yeah, of course – just come right over," I said while silently fist bumping the air.

Operation Match-Making was finally going according to plan.

After hanging up I walked back through the living room to get Rosalie's lunch. She threw her hand out in a 'stop right there, missy'-gesture.

"Who was that?"

"Oh, it was just Emmett – he forgot his bag here earlier, so he's just gonna stop by and pick it up."

_Act cool, Swan, act cool... keep it together_.

"Oh, cool. I'll have to thank him for helping you today then, because honestly? It's kinda freaking me out a little that a dude I've never even met has been in here today, rearranging my furniture."

She scrunched her face up in a cute expression and I laughed as I left for the kitchen.

It didn't take long until the bangs of Emmett's huge fist against the door reached us in the living room. I jumped up with badly withheld excitement to let him in.

"Hey," he greeted me with a slightly embarrassed smile as I opened the door. He rubbed his neck self-consciously as I chuckled at him.

"Hey. Come on in – Rose wanted to thank you, now that you're here and all," I said, waving him through the doorway.

I led him into the living room, feeling a little giddy about the whole thing. "Rose, this is Emmett – Emmett, Rose," I said, introducing them with a few small gestures.

Rose looked up just as Emmett stepped into the room and her friendly, welcoming smile froze on her face as her eyes landed on him. I watched, with growing confusion, as her beautiful features abruptly twisted into an angry, incredulous expression the likes of which I had never seen.

"You!" she seethed incredulously. Her voice was a dark growl as her eyes almost bugged out of her head and for the first time in my life, I saw a deep red blush creeping up her neck. She looked absolutely furious.

I swivelled to look at the man currently taking the brunt of one of the most vicious glares in the history of the world. I wasn't really sure what I was expecting to see, but I was feeling so incredibly baffled and I just wanted to see _anything_ that could help me make sense of Rosalie's violent, _non_sensical reaction.

Emmett's facial expression didn't help. At all.

It went from surprise, to shock, to anger, to disbelief in a matter of seconds before his eyebrows slowly dropped down from his hairline and his cute, cuddly face morphed into a dark smirk.

"Well, well, well... this is a surprise," he sneered. "Didn't think I'd ever have to see you again."

My head whipped back just in time to see Rosalie's nostrils flare in rage. "What _the fuck_ are you doing here? Are you stalking me or something?"

I gaped. What the hell was going on here?

Emmett laughed, as if Rosalie's question was the funniest joke he had ever heard. "Yeah, because I didn't get enough of your prissy little ass the first time we met."

"Fuck you!"

"Sorry princess, no can do – you're not coming anywhere _near_ my dick."

"Oh, please, don't make me barf!"

"Oh, I don't know, that would probably be pretty funny."

"You're such an ass! I can't believe _you_ are nice, sweet, funny Emmett that Bella's been telling me about – you've really got them all fooled, haven't you?" Rosalie spat, almost trembling with rage at this point.

Emmett opened his mouth to respond to her, but I decided that I had had enough of being kept in the dark about whatever-the-fuck this thing was, so I threw my hands up, one palm facing each of them.

"Alright, hold it!" I shouted. "What the hell is going on here? You two've met?"

"You can say that," Rose growled, not taking her hate-filled, dagger-throwing glare off of Emmett.

"Wha-...? When? How? What the fuck happened?"

Rose raised a single, vicious eyebrow at Emmett, as if challenging him to speak. I knew that expression on her face – she'd used it on me the morning after my first date with Edward, amongst other occasions, and it had taken every single ounce of strength in me to withstand the power of that eyebrow. Emmett would speak, I knew this.

In a voice dripping with disgust, Emmett attempted to clue me in. "Let's just say there was a small incident at the supermarket where your friend here acted like a spoiled little, stuck-up brat-!"

"Shut up, you little dipshit! _YOU_ were the one who fucki-"

"Don't you try to blame that shit on me again! We both know it was _all_ YOU and I had nothi-"

"Oh, you're so full of shit! I didn't do _anything_ to you, you big oaf! All I did was ask if I-"

"Yeah, and I said no – a word you _obviously_ aren't fucking familiar with!"

"HEY!" I screamed, stomping my foot in anger. Both of them were actually leaning towards each other now, Rose from her position on the couch and Emmett from where he stood in the doorway. They didn't take their eyes off each other as they breathed heavily from their shouting-match and the furious, crackling tension between them was almost tangible. I was sure freaking lasers were going to start shooting out of their eyes any second.

"Get the fuck out of my apartment," Rose growled in a low, dangerously dark threat, completely ignoring me and my foot-stomping.

"Gladly," Emmett growled back just as viciously; I never could have imagined that his cute, incredibly kind face could be twisted into something so angry and hateful. It was almost scary to see it, because it seemed so unlike the Emmett I had gotten to know. He turned on his heel then and disappeared from view. It only took a few seconds before he slammed the door shut violently, the deafening smash of it echoing around the apartment. I really hoped he'd grabbed his bag on the way out, because it would be incredibly awkward if he had to come back to get it now.

I suppose I could have gone to check if the bag was still there, but I didn't move. Rose didn't move. Not a single sound could be heard as the tension abruptly left the room with Emmett's departure. It was almost like a vacuum had been created as all the air got sucked out – a vacuum which was almost impossible to break.

I slowly turned my eyes to Rose who was now glaring into – or _at_ – empty space. Her arms were crossed over her chest and the angry flush had completely taken over her face.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said in a voice that was trembling with residual anger. There was absolutely no room for questioning in her tone – she really didn't want to talk about it, and I was pretty sure she'd kick me out of the apartment too if I tried.

"Alright," I said slowly. I stood there in uncomfortable silence for a while before the presence of Rose's fury grew to such a size that I couldn't stay in the same room with it anymore. "I have to go the bathroom," I muttered, hightailing it out of there as quickly as I could. As soon as I closed the door behind me, it was instantly much easier to breathe – the tension had been truly stifling.

I leaned back against the door, completely drained. I still had no fucking clue what the hell had just happened – all I knew was that Operation Match-Making had definitely _failed_, big time.

I had a feeling my phone conversation with Edward that night would be very interesting indeed.

* * *

**Well, that was a fun "first" meeting, wasn't it?**

**As always, I will be sending out teasers when I have something ready – if you haven't heard from me after a long time, it's not because I'm ignoring you, trust me. I read and cherish every single review and it kinda killed me this time to have so many unanswered ones just sitting there, being cherished, for over a month. These are the pitfalls of writing two stories at once, I'm afraid, but I DO respond, even if it takes me forever ;)**

**You guys are so awesome. That is all. **

**Until next time, **

**/Vic **


	9. Walk in the park

**So, did you all enjoy Eclipse? Whenever I saw wolf-Jake, all I could think about was Taylor in a grey spandex suit. **

**Bouncy 72, OLVamptramp and magnessina are angels. Their sprinkles made this chapter better, and I couldn't be more thankful. I love you, girls. **

**I also love all of you, simply for still reading this thing. You're amazing.

* * *

**

**Disclaimer**: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight; the rest is mine. No copyright infringement is intended. Any coping or reproduction of this work is not permitted without my express written authorisation.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Walk in the park**

EPOV

A perfect summer's day – according to my own humble opinion and personal preferences – included blue skies, sunshine that _just_ added a bit of warmth to your skin and a gentle breeze to keep you cool and not overheated. Add to that a nice, refreshingly cold beer, a bit of perspiration beading up the bottle, and I was a very happy man.

Today, I was not a happy man, because today was _not_ a perfect summer's day. There were blue skies, yes, but the sun that beat down on me was unmerciful and there was no gentle breeze whatsoever. The air was completely still and hot, making it hard to even breathe properly. I was sweaty, sticky and my body odour was probably in the general area between 'gross' and 'borderline revolting'. I felt like summer was giving me the finger.

The sun was always the bad guy during days like this. You just complained and complained about grey skies and rain and no sun, but as soon as the clouds disappear and the burning ball of fire emerges, everyone scurries off in search of shade, AC's and pools.

Or maybe that sort of behaviour was just reserved for pale-skinned weaklings like me. I never did understand the idea of baking yourself in the sun until you were golden and crisp – I preferred eating cookies to actually being one.

So, all things considered, I would have loved to spend this day hiding somewhere indoors. At least until it was cool enough during the evening to actually do something, like move around. However, the darling fruit of my loins had other plans. At the crack of dawn (okay, not really – it was at 9 am) she woke me up in her customary manner of bouncing on my stomach. I preferred actual alarm clocks, but somehow she never seemed to really grasp that.

She then demanded that I take her to the park. Or well, I say demanded, when it was more along the lines of:

"_Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? Can we go to the park today? Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? Please?_" Aaaand... cue impossible-to-resist smile.

So really, it was coercion that forced me here, more than anything.

I sighed – feeling like I was breathing fire – and uselessly rubbed the burning skin of my neck as I watched Maddie playing on the jungle gym. I enviously glanced over at the gaggle of moms occupying every single bench along the playground stationed under the protection of trees.

Every. Single. Bench.

I wanted a tree.

I should have brought a tree.

I wanted to call them names in my head, but I really couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew my mother would have my ass for even contemplating the idea.

_Not that that made it any less appealing, of course_...

I mean, really? Every single bench? They just _had_ to fill them all with their bags and strollers and coolers full of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and grape juice, while I was forced to endure blistering sun and ball-sweat inducing heat, all for the sake of our kids being entertained for an hour?

I felt like I was in exile. Seriously, not a single other parent was occupying a burn-your-skin-off-bench. I felt ridiculous.

It didn't really help matters that I was the only human in sight with a set of hairy balls, either. The oldest male – apart from myself – was probably around eight years old and he was currently attempting to eat sand without his mother noticing.

_Talk about being outnumbered_.

I sighed again and glanced down at my watch. Dammit, had we only been here for 20 minutes? Really? It felt like freaking eternity. In hell. The merciless ball of lava in the sky didn't really help matters, what with it cooking the flesh off my bones and all.

Needless to say, I wasn't really having a good time. I was definitely looking forward to the evening, where I would be dropping Maddie off at yet _another_ slumber party before making dinner for Bella at my apartment. I was really looking forward to that. Especially if Bella wore one of her light little summer dresses, with the tiny straps and flouncy skirts that ended above the knee so I could enjoy the sight of her long, amazing legs... and then after dinner, I would make sure I had the pleasure of removing the dress. With my teeth.

Any further daydreaming about disrobing Bella ended quite abruptly. As if nature had conspired against me to make my visit to the park as unpleasant as possible, a bug of some sort chose that particular moment to attempt a trip up my left nostril.

I exclaimed a startled protest at the buzzing sensation invading my nose, a strange 'bhu-aaargh!' noise leaving me as I recoiled and ducked to the side in a spastic movement, because, you know, _clearly_ I hadn't felt ridiculous enough before.

I felt the shade-sucking bench-hoggers stare at me as I flailed. I actively chose not to look at them, feeling that was the better alternative in terms of preserving my own sense of dignity.

_Fuck. I want ice cream. In a cone. With goddamn sprinkles._

"Daddy!"

I looked over to the source of the command, the dreams of ice cream cones evaporating like mist in my head.

_God, some cool mist would be amazing right now..._

"What is it, honey?"

Maddie had now abandoned the jungle gym and was standing in front of the swings. This was just as well, since the jungle gym was a contraption I believed had been specifically engineered to lure parents in with a false promise of relaxation, as we would all think it would occupy our children and give us a moment of privacy. However, trying to relax while your child climbs up and down something like a jungle gym is very difficult, since you're always looking over to make sure they haven't fallen off and broken or impaled some important part of their body.

Jungle gyms are evil.

"Push me, daddy," my daughter demanded – she had given up any pretence of asking for stuff a long time ago – before turning her back on me and jumping onto one of the swings. She clearly assumed I would just obey her blindly.

She knew me too well.

With a heavy sigh, I rose from the BBQ disguised as a bench and walked over to her slowly.

As she waited for me to join her, Maddie was covertly – or as covertly as a five-year old can be (meaning, not at all) – studying the boy two swings over as he pushed himself higher and higher. His mother was standing just a few feet away, talking with a friend and no doubt watching him with that famous eye at the back of her heads that all parents develop at the birth of their first born.

The boy noticed Maddie's attention, and he threw her a smug, superior smile at how high he was swinging.

_Show off..._

"Alright honey, you ready?" I circled around her and grabbed the chains – they felt like red-hot branding irons against my palms. Okay, not really, but the heat was making me grumpy, and when I'm grumpy I tend to exaggerate everything, and that included my use of hyperboles.

She tore her eyes away from the boy beside her and leaned her head back, giving me a huge upside-down grin as I pulled her towards me.

"Yeah," she assured me with extreme enthusiasm. I couldn't help but chuckle quietly at she leaned her head back up, swinging her legs in anticipation. Her whole body bounced, reaffirming my belief that she was the cutest little girl to ever walk to earth.

_This was, of course, only in my own humble opinion_.

I started out carefully, giving her a few gentle pushes. It didn't take long until she was giggling and begging for me to push her higher, and higher, and higher with no care for her own personal safety. Thankfully, I was there to worry about that sort of thing. I wouldn't allow her to go quite as high as the boy – he was like seven years old and not my own flesh and blood, so it seemed less fatal for him – but Maddie seemed satisfied by the height I allowed.

She squealed and shrieked and giggled and made an abundance of other girly noises as she swung through the air. Watching her hair whip around her face, I was suddenly very jealous of her – the wind must've felt incredible.

Just as my arms were starting to get _really_ tired, the boy beside us dug his feet noisily into the ground to slow his speed, before making a flailing jump off his swing. He stumbled a little on his landing, but still managed to stay on his feet – he seemed incredibly proud of his accomplishment, once he was steady. At least, that's what I assumed his fist pump meant.

"Mom! Mom! Did you see? Look, I jumped really far!"

"Yes, I saw, sweetie – good job," his mother cooed as he ran over to her.

Maddie had suddenly gone suspiciously quiet. Her lack of squeals made me look up at her as she swung back towards me. Her attention was once again stuck on the boy, and it was to the extent that she didn't even notice when I failed to give her another push. Her speed and height drastically decreased, but not a single sound or movement indicated a protest. She was too busy staring at the boy, who was beaming up at his mother as she stroked his hair lovingly.

As she once again swung back in my direction, I grabbed onto the chains and walked us both forward so that she came to a gentle stop. She still didn't look away.

I walked around her slowly, squatting down to her level.

"Honey? What's wrong?"

She finally seemed to notice what was going on around her. She slowly turned her head towards me and I was completely unprepared for the sadness in her eyes. Not 30 seconds ago she had been as happy as she could be, and now she was suddenly looking at me with her big, blue eyes filled with hurt and confusion. Her expression tore through my heart and filled my chest with pain. I could not bear to see her look like this, ever, and it was made worse by the fact that I had no idea what had caused it. All I wanted was to take whatever it was away and make her the happy, giggly little girl of earlier.

"Maddie? Honey, what's wrong?" I repeated my question, carefully trying to keep any note of panic out of my voice. I gently pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, watching her anxiously. Her tiny shoulders dropped and she looked down at the ground.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the mother of the boy look over at us – I didn't acknowledge her. Whatever it was that Maddie was upset about, it had to have something to do with the boy; why else would she have been looking at him like that? I therefore had a childish urge to ignore the woman, because clearly her spawn had upset my daughter.

Maddie fidgeted a little, dragging her foot in the dust. I hoped she wouldn't clamp down and refuse to tell me what was wrong.

"Maddie? Won't you tell me?"

She nodded. Okay... well, that was something at least.

"Daddy...?" She mumbled her question quietly to the ground, sounding hesitant and unsure.

"Yeah?" I paused to give her a chance to talk, but when no further words left her, I tried the age-old tactic of reassurance. "What is it, honey? You can tell me anything, you know that."

She nodded again. She swallowed hard as her shoulders pulled up towards her ears – she looked like she wanted to hide or something. I was starting to get really worried, my mind conjuring up nightmare scenarios about what might be bothering her like this.

I was not prepared for the words that finally left her mouth though.

"Why don't I have a mommy?"

My heart stopped. My entire body froze. Pain sliced through me at the heartbroken tone of her voice, and panic swelled quickly and overwhelmingly in me, dousing my blood with rigid ice. I was not prepared for that question. At all.

I was not prepared for what that question signified.

I was not prepared for what it had to lead to.

I was not prepared for how that question was now pushing me towards a very difficult discussion that I had no idea how to handle.

I'd always known we would have to face this someday, but I wasn't actually anticipating _someday_ to be _this day_. I'd always thought it be, you know... like, _never_. Or maybe that was just what I was hoping for. And this wasn't something I could just put off, not when she'd asked me so directly. I knew it had to happen now, but I had no idea how to... how to _explain_ this. All I had wanted was to make her happy again, to take away the sadness in her eyes, and now that I understood the source, I just didn't-... I couldn't... _fuck._

How was I supposed to do this?

It wasn't that Maddie was completely unaware of our... _situation_. She'd always known her mother left when she was young – I had never tried to keep that from her. She just didn't know _why_. She'd never asked me before and I had never tried to explain it. She was still so young; there was no reason for me to burden her with the knowledge of Emily's reasons, not until she was older and more able to handle it.

But now... now she was asking me, outright, and I had no idea what to do.

She glanced up at me quickly when I didn't respond. I quickly rearranged my features, hoping there was no trace in my expression that would reveal how panicked and scared I was of messing this up. There was so much riding on this now, I just had to get it right.

"I guess I've never really told you, huh?" I heard myself say and Maddie just shook her head at the ground.

I sighed. Guess this was actually going to happen then.

I reached out and gently lifted her out of the swing, settling her into my arms as I rose from my crouch.

"Alright then, babygirl, let's go talk."

I may not have had a fucking clue what I was possibly going to say to her, but I did know that we were _not_ going to have this conversation on a swing in the middle of a playground, with the blazing sun bearing down on us. And perhaps even more importantly, we were not going to have this conversation standing next to the two individuals who had made it abundantly clear to Maddie what she didn't have.

I started walking in a random direction, leaving the mother, her son and the bench-hoggers behind. I just needed to find a bench or something in a quiet part of the park, where we could have some privacy and some shade. I'd had quite enough of the burning sun for the afternoon and while Maddie hadn't seemed very effected by it, I didn't want her to stay out in it too long either.

She held on to me tightly as I walked. Normally she wouldn't allow me to carry her anymore, but whenever she was sad or confused, she'd cling to me desperately. I guess she needed the reassurance of my familiar embrace and I had no problems with giving it to her.

How the hell was I supposed to deal with this? You'd think I would have been more prepared – I'd spent a lot of sleepless nights worrying about this very thing happening. What was I going to say? How long should I wait until I talked to her about it? How would she react? All these questions and concerns had been plaguing me ever since Emily left, and I never figured out any real answers.

I remembered how, during the first few months after she left, I had voiced my concerns to my family. They'd all been very supportive, in every way possible, and they all tried to give me advice on what to do. Emmett, for instance, had suggested I tell Maddie her mother had passed away. That way she could be spared the pain of knowing that, when it all boiled down to it, the simple truth was that her mother just didn't want her.

I had considered it, and seriously as that. It had been a very tempting suggestion – it seemed so much easier than the truth. But I just... I couldn't. Every time I thought about it, I eventually came to the same conclusion – I just couldn't do that to my daughter. I couldn't lie to her like that. I couldn't tell my whole family to lie to her like that.

What Emily did... I sometimes felt like Maddie had been the victim of some crime, and in my more soul-searching of moments, I wondered if maybe that view made me feel guilty, made me feel like whatever I possibly did for her, it would never be enough. I wanted _everything_ for her, I wanted the best for her, and lying to her like that... that would not be the best. Maddie deserved better than that.

Besides, what if, several years down the line, she found out the truth? I didn't even want to think about the kind of psychological damage that could do to her, not to mention how much she would most likely hate me for building her whole life on a lie.

No; that may have been the easy way out, but the cons far outweighed the pros. It really wasn't a viable option.

And now I was left with absolutely no idea what to say. She deserved the truth, yes, but how did I tell her? How did I tell her without hurting her?

I wished there were handbooks on this kind of shit. '_Sorry Honey, Mommy's A Bitch': How to Tell Your Kids Their Mother Didn't Want Them_. Yeah, that'd be a bestseller.

I finally found a somewhat tucked away bench in a secluded area of the park – the path was pretty much deserted, so at least we had the illusion of being alone. I sat down with a heavy sigh, thanking god I was out of the sun now – sitting still in it was bad enough; walking around with a five-year old wrapped around your neck was a great deal harder.

Maddie settled herself on my lap, making no effort to slide down onto the bench or sit by herself, which I was actually relieved by. This would be a difficult and emotional conversation, and the more comfort I could offer her, the better.

"Alright... where do I start," I mused, mostly to myself. The weight and importance of getting this _right_ bore down on me, pressing into my shoulders. It was hard to even breathe properly and I suddenly felt so nervous I thought I was going to throw up.

_Holy shit, I can't do this... there's no way I can do this, I can't tell her everything... jesus, fuck, how-... fuck._

"From the start," Maddie said quietly, interrupting my panic attack. I looked down at her in surprise before a small, humourless chuckle left me. I nodded at her.

"Of course – I start at the beginning."

_Easier said than done... fuck, I do _not_ want to have this conversation_.

"Well... your mom – Emily Beaton – and I met in high school. We liked each other, so I asked her to be my girlfriend."

I paused, my mouth silently moving as I tried to think of the best way to approach this. How much did I tell her? How much would she understand?

"Like you and Bella?"

Again, Maddie interrupted my inner freak-out and I gave her a small smile.

"Yeah, kinda like me and Bella. I just haven't asked Bella to be my girlfriend yet," I said, winking at her. Her soft laugh felt like a soothing balm of relief – if she could find it in herself to laugh right now, that told me that she might be okay, that I might manage to get us through this mess _okay_.

"Anyway, Emily and I stayed together all through high school and then we went to college together too. That's when we moved to Chicago, where you were born."

Maddie smiled and nodded – she knew that part of the story already. I took a deep breath, pretending that it gave me strength. It didn't. At all. It just reminded me of the weight of responsibility pressing down on my shoulders, restricting my lungs and making oxygen intake quite tricky, so really, it had the opposite effect.

"When we were 23, we got married. Grandma and Grandpa wanted us to wait until we were a little older, but we didn't listen," I continued, smiling at her so she knew she could laugh. She giggled while I remembered how Grandma had not only urged me to wait a few years, but even once or twice urged me not to do it at all.

Despite the heartache our marriage had resulted in, I was still glad I hadn't listened to my mother – if I had, I knew there was no way Maddie would be here and her existence was something I would _never_ regret.

"About two months later, in the beginning of September, we found out that-... well, we found out that Emily was pregnant. With you," I said, giving her a gentle tap on the nose.

She frowned a little, which I found worrying.

_Please don't ask me how babies are made, please don't ask me how babies are made, please don't ask me how babies are made..._

"When we found out we were both a little scared," I powered on, hoping to distract her in case she actually _was_ going to ask me about the baby-making process. "Having children is a big responsibility and sometimes, if you're not ready, it can seem very scary. But it only took me a minute before I was imagining holding you in my arms after you were born, and then I wasn't so scared anymore. I loved you from the very beginning, Maddie, and I was so proud that I was going to be your dad."

I swallowed around the tight knot that had suddenly grown in my throat, stroking her soft little cheek gently. I was getting to the hard part now and I-... I was so scared of how she was going to take it. I felt sick at the very idea of hurting her, and I just couldn't think of a way to tell her this story without doing just that.

I was in a fucked up situation, and I did not like it. At all.

"But sometimes it's... some people just aren't... some people just aren't cut out to be mommies and daddies," I told her slowly. I minced every single thought that came out of my mind, trying to control every word and make her not only understand the story as a whole, but also understand that none of this was _her_ fault. That was what worried me most – that she wouldn't understand that Emily didn't leave because of her. Emily left because of _herself_, but Maddie was only five for christ's sake; that concept wouldn't be easy for her to grasp.

"And Emily... Emily was that kind of person. She was scared of being a mommy – it wasn't in her heart and she didn't know what to do. But she was willing to try."

I closed my eyes and sighed. It hurt so much talking about this.

"You know how Grandma and Grandpa love each other? And Uncle Jazz and Auntie Alice? How happy they are together?" I opened my eyes and waited until she nodded in understanding. "That's how a marriage should be. You should love each other and be happy together and you should want to spend the rest of your life together. Do you understand?"

Maddie nodded again and I smiled sadly at her.

"Emily and I weren't like that. I know _now_ that I hadn't loved Emily for a long time – I married her because I thought that was what I was supposed to do, and not really because I _wanted_ to. That's a really important difference, Maddie, and I want you to remember that. When you're old enough to know what love is, I want you to wait until you find that very special person, okay?"

"Okay," she said quietly. I didn't know if she really understood what I was telling her at all, and maybe that was just as well – she really was too young to be thinking about love and marriage, but I couldn't stop myself from trying to give her that piece of advice, however useless it might be.

"When we were waiting for you to be born... Emily just couldn't stop being scared. She wasn't ready to be a mom, and she became very angry... at everything."

I paused, trying to figure out where to go from there. It was so goddamn difficult to find the right words.

"Was she angry at me?" Maddie's voice was no louder than a whisper and the sadness in her words tore through my heart. She was looking down into her lap and I immediately put my finger under her chin and made her look at me. I shook my head firmly.

"No. You did _nothing_ wrong." I looked into her eyes seriously, hoping with everything I had in me that she would believe me. This was the most important thing I had to tell her, and she _needed_ to believe this. "You never did anything wrong, Maddie, I promise. This was just... it was just Emily." I paused again, moving her hair over her shoulder. "You know how you said you want to take pictures when you grow up, like uncle Emmy?"

She nodded slowly and I smiled a little at her.

"Well, everyone has dreams about what they want to be when they grow up. Some people love those dreams a lot and if they don't come true, it can make them very sad. Your mo-... Emily... had those dreams for herself, and they didn't really include being my wife."

I hadn't realised until that point that I was purposefully avoiding calling Emily 'your mommy' – the words even sounded foul in my head. Emily had never really been a mom to Maddie, and using that term to describe her would tarnish it somehow.

"She didn't dream about getting married so young or having children – she wanted other things for herself, and when she didn't get them, she became very sad. Very sad... and very selfish. We would fight a lot, every day, and we just weren't happy together anymore. You know how Mich's daddy doesn't live with them? But she goes to see him sometimes?"

Maddie nodded. She wasn't much of a talker, my daughter.

"Well, that's because he and Tanya got a divorce – that means that they decided they didn't want to be married anymore, and by getting a divorce they could live their lives separately and find someone else that they loved. He and Tanya fought a lot too, and they weren't happy together either, just like Emily and me."

Maddie nodded slowly again as she seemed to digest this information. She didn't seem too upset by the story, but I was well aware of the fact that I was walking through a figurative mine field – one wrong move and the whole thing could blow up in my face. It made me extremely nervous.

"And if Emily hadn't left, we would have ended up getting divorced like Mich's parents," I told her seriously. "We're divorced now too, but it just happened a little differently because of the way... everything happened."

I pushed a hand through my hair. Every word that left me felt like a stone, weighing me down. It just wasn't fair that Maddie needed to hear this. It just wasn't fair that she had to live with... this. It just wasn't fair.

"Anyway... the day you were born was the happiest day of my life. When the doctor put you in my arms... I swear I was looking down at an angel. You were such a beautiful baby – all the nurses were talking about you," I told her, winking at her again. She laughed this time too, seeming pleased with hearing these things about herself.

"And every day when I got back home from work, the first thing I'd do would be to cuddle with you on the couch, just like we still do."

She smiled warmly, but it didn't last long – her expression slowly morphed back into the mask of sadness and confusion and I held her more tightly against me.

"But what about mo-...?" She stumbled over the word, looking torn over what to say. Clearly she didn't know if she could call Emily 'mom' or use her first name, like I was doing. I knew it was confusing for her.

"Emily... she tried, honey. She stayed home with you those first few months, taking care of you as well as she could. But she just didn't have that 'mom' thing in her – do you know what I mean when I say that? Being a parent is... it's a natural thing. Everyone needs help at first, so that they can learn what to do and get answers to their questions, but for the most part, mommies and daddies just _know_ how to take care of their kids. Emily didn't have that. She didn't feel like a mommy.

"But what made it even harder for her was that those dreams she had for herself, you remember? They didn't... include me and you. And when Emily couldn't find that 'mom' thing in herself, it was very difficult for her to not wish that she could leave us behind and follow those dreams."

Maddie's bottom lip was trembling. My heart was clenched, trying to beat under the ice-cold fist currently constricting around it. My chest felt tight and something was tugging painfully at me. I didn't want her to cry – I hated seeing her cry, there was nothing that pained me more than that.

"It was very difficult for her not to be... selfish," I continued, murmuring quietly now. "But what you have to understand, babygirl, is that none of us would have been happy if she'd stayed. She wasn't a mommy, no matter how hard she tried, and you deserved better than that. If she had stayed... she would have been very bitter by now. She would be upset about how her life turned out and she would have-... she would have blamed _me_. We would be arguing a lot, and no child should have to see her parents fighting, honey, believe me.

"I know it maybe doesn't seem that way, but her leaving really was for the best."

Maddie nodded and turned her head down, trying to hide behind a curtain of her hair. But I could still see the first tear that rolled down her prefect cheek, and the ice-cold fist squeezed with all its might around my heart.

"Don't cry, honey," I urged gently, wiping away the tear. It didn't help at all; more of them started rolling down her cheeks in even streams and I pulled her closer to me, letting her bury her head in my chest. She sobbed quietly as I rubbed her back, making soothing, nonsensical noises.

"You did nothing wrong, Maddie – remember that. You did nothing wrong, I promise. You were just a little baby at the time, okay? You did nothing wrong..."

"Why... di-didn't sh-she... li-like m-me?"

I immediately pushed her away from me so that I could look into her eyes. I spoke slowly and seriously even as every single tear that welled up in her eyes cut through my heart like barbed wire. "That wasn't it, Maddie. That wasn't it, at all. She didn't leave because she didn't like you – she left because she didn't like herself. She didn't like her life with us and she didn't fit into it. She wasn't a mother – she was just someone who gave birth to you. It _wasn't_ because she didn't like you. Believe me, honey. You did _nothing_ wrong, okay?"

She continued to cry and sob, but she still nodded at my words. I pulled her back into my chest, stroking her hair calmingly as she cried herself out. It was the most terrible sound in the world, hearing her cry like this, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

When her sobs were reduced to the occasional sniffle, I quietly spoke again.

"She left you a letter, you know. I got one too, where she explained all this stuff. She said that I could read yours if I wanted to, but I haven't. I'll give it to you when you're a little older so that you can fully understand what she's telling you, okay?"

Maddie nodded tiredly against me. She didn't even attempt to talk me into giving her the letter now, which told me that she was more emotionally drained than she'd really been letting on. It was definitely time for us to leave the park now.

I just had one more thing to tell her. I gently pushed her back into a sitting position on my lap and made her look at me. I wiped at the wetness on her cheeks, using my thumb as softly as I could manage.

"When Emily left, you and I were up here, in Seattle, visiting Grandma and Grandpa and Emmy and Alice. You were just a few months old, and it was the first time they'd met you. They fell in love with you the second they lay eyes on you – I barely got to hold you the whole weekend, because everyone else wanted to cuddle with you all the time. _Everyone_ loved you, Maddie. You're a very special girl and there is nothing that could ever make us stop loving you. And when you and I went back to Chicago, they were all so sad to see you go. Grandma cried."

That made her crack a smile, and I drew a silent sigh of relief.

"And then it was just you and me back in Chicago. Emily was gone and it was up to me to take care of you. But there really wasn't anything tying us down in Chicago, so within a month you and I moved here so that everyone who loves you could see you every day. Grandma, Grandpa, Alice and Emmy could not be more thrilled to get the chance to see you and love you and take care of you and _spoil_ you."

I poked her gently in the stomach, and a small giggle left her.

"You have more love in your life than most people dream about. Everyone who meets you can't help but love you. But do you know who loves you the most?"

She shook her head and I smiled at her.

"Me. You'll always be my babygirl. I'll always be here for you and there is nothing I won't do for you. Okay? You're the best thing I've ever done and I couldn't be more proud."

I leaned in and kissed her forehead before wiping away the last trace of her tears.

"No more crying over this, babygirl," I all but whispered. "There may not be a 'mommy' in our lives, but you will always have me, I'll always have you, and we will both always have grandma's cookies, okay?"

She laughed and nodded again, crashing into me as her arms wrapped around my neck in a tight hug. I held her to me and sighed. I really hoped everything I said had gotten through to her; maybe she had questions that still needed answering, and maybe she wouldn't fully understand all of this until she was older – I didn't know. I had tried to make her understand, tried to make her see that she had done nothing wrong, but there was no telling yet if she had grasped the whole thing.

I guess I could only wait and see. I had no doubt that this wasn't the end of this discussion – there were still more things for her to find out about, to contemplate and understand. But not right now. Now it was time for something far more pleasurable than the last 30 minutes or so of emotional agony and tears.

"Hey... how about some ice cream?" I asked as I rose from my seat, Maddie still wrapped firmly around me.

"Yes, please," she said quietly into my shoulder, tightening her hold for a few seconds.

I smiled to myself as I started walking, feeling the weight on my shoulders slowly fall off for the time being. There would be times when those weights of responsibility would come back, but for now I could walk with a light heart and a happy child in my arms. I couldn't really ask for more than that.

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**I just have one thing to say, really: I'm going to start posting teasers on a more public forum, like The Fictionators, rather than sending them out in reviews. **

**One, because it kills me not to answer your reviews until like two or more weeks after you even sent them to me, and two, because a lot of people are excluded from teasers when I only send them out to reviewers. **

**I know not everyone reviews, but that doesn't mean you don't love the story and wouldn't enjoy being teased every once in a while. So, from now on I'll submit teasers to The Fictionators instead. If you have twitter, you can keep an eye out on mine (link on my profile) and I'll let you know where to find any teasers I post. I hope you're all okay with that. **

**Anyway; next up is date night for Edward and Bella ;)**

**You are all awesome. Every single one of you. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

**Lots of love, **

**/Vic**


	10. Doing the dishes

**Hello everyone. Sorry for the delay on this chapter – my writing was put on hold for almost a whole week because of a really bad flu-like cold. Anyway, DILFward and Bella are back with their date-night. I hope you'll enjoy it.**

**Bouncy 72, magnessina and OLVamptramp are all amazing. I can't thank you ladies enough – I adore you.

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**

**Disclaimer**: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight; the rest is mine. No copyright infringement is intended. Any coping or reproduction of this work is not permitted without my express written authorisation.

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**Chapter 10: Doing the dishes**

EPOV

"So, did you and Maddie have a good day?"

I paused in my haphazard stirring to look over at Bella. She sat at my kitchen table, wearing the kind of dress I had desperately been hoping for, with straps that were just begging to be ripped.

Okay, maybe not begging, but I really wanted to anyway. I wouldn't, because Bella would probably be a little pissed if I ruined her dress, but still... the temptation was there. I figured, ripping them would get her naked faster – yes?

Yes.

I tugged my eyes away from her bare shoulders and took in her soft smile. God, she was pretty.

"I guess that depends on what your definition of a good day is," I said, to answer her question. I put down the wooden spoon and walked over to join her at the table – the food could fend for itself for a few minutes.

"Oh?" Bella asked, watching me as I sat down. "Well, if we go with your definition – good day, or bad day?"

I chuckled as I shrugged. "I don't really know. It was... a mixture of both good and bad, I'd say."

"Okay, you need to stop being so cryptic. I didn't realise 'have you had a good day?' had suddenly become such a difficult question to answer," Bella teased as she took a small sip of her wine.

I laughed and conceded with a nod. "I'm sorry, it's just... I honestly don't know if it was a good day or not. It was..."

I slowly trailed off, struggling to find the words that could describe my day with Maddie. It definitely hadn't been 'easy' or 'carefree' or something, you know, _nice_ like that.

Bella frowned at me, with a smile playing around her lips. "Seriously, Edward – what happened today?"

"Well... Maddie wanted to go to the park, which was fine, apart from the heat."

Bella nodded. "God, I could barely move – just breathing made me break a sweat."

I snorted attractively. "Yeah, it was kinda miserable. Not that Maddie seemed to notice."

"Tough kid."

"You're telling me," I said with an amused sigh. "Anyway, everything was relatively fine until she-... she-... _shit_..."

I started stumbling over my words as Maddie's heartbroken expression flashed before my eyes. I couldn't focus my thoughts as I remembered the pain my child must have felt. I didn't want my babygirl to have to feel pain like that, not ever, and I just... I couldn't... Words just failed me.

"Edward?" Bella's voice was tentative as she reached over the table, gently touching her fingers to the top of my hand. I gave her a small smile, thankful for her gesture despite my... 'emotional turmoil'.

"I'm sorry, I just... she-... she asked a very difficult question. One I haven't really been looking forward to answering," I said slowly, focusing my gaze on the sun glinting off her hair for a second.

"Let me guess... 'where do babies come from'?" Bella teased lightly. My eyes snapped to hers, and I chuckled under my breath. It was clear that she knew the topic of mine and Maddie's conversation had been a bit deeper than that, but her teasing lightened the atmosphere around us. She was just letting me know I could tell her whatever it was and she'd listen; I appreciated it more than I could really explain.

"No, not really," I said with a grin and Bella snorted. "No, she... she asked why she doesn't-... why she doesn't have a mom."

Bella's face cleared of any amusement, her lips parting around an understanding, "Oh..."

I sighed slowly, knowing that she, of all people, really _did_ understand. She must have asked her dad the same question at some point.

Her fingers slowly slipped around my hand, until they were resting against my palm. She gave it a gentle squeeze.

"How did it go?"

I shrugged and picked up my glass of wine. "Okay, I guess. For the most part anyway. It was nice once it was over," I joked with a wry smile. I felt accomplished when Bella laughed under her breath with real humour.

"But before it was over?" Her demeanour melted back into seriousness as she prompted me to continue.

I squeezed her hand and sighed. "It was tough. She was upset, of course. Watching her cry was... I can't even-... I can't handle it, Bella. I can't watch her cry. It fucking breaks my heart."

She nodded in sympathy, making me sigh again, but more from wonderment than anything else. Why was she even interested in this? I just didn't get how she could be so... how she could listen so patiently. How she could be so amazing. The last thing I should be taking about on a date was the emotional conversation I'd had with my kid, and yet here she was, listening with undivided attention. This was something I would have expected after several months in a relationship, not a few weeks.

She squeezed my hand again, and I looked up into her eyes. So kind, so patient and understanding. So... unbelievable. She had some sort of power over me. She made me feel these urges to get closer to her all the time, to open up to her and bring her into my life. It all seemed to be moving so fast, but I couldn't bring myself to care or worry about it. At all. It didn't feel wrong or scary to have these urges – it just felt right.

Which, ironically, scared the living crap out of me.

In a good way. I think.

That we were forced, in a way, to take it nice and slow therefore... sucked. Kinda. I guess 'nice and slow' had its benefits too, but right now I wasn't feeling very favourable towards it.

"Yeah... I mean, I knew we needed to talk about it at some point; I just thought that, you know, Maddie might be a bit older than five. She still believes in Santa and the Toothfairy, for god's sake," I said with a pained laugh, rubbing my free hand through my hair. I paused then, glancing at her sympathetic expression. The granules of amusement in her eyes and the small smile on her lips helped me not bristle, as one was prone to do when faced with sympathy like that. Plus, I didn't really know where her sympathy was directed – at me, for having to have the conversation, or at Maddie, for needing to hear it? At the both of us? Not that it mattered much; either way, she was still showing her kindness.

I sighed one more time and then proceeded to give her a run-down of my delightful afternoon. The attention she gave me was quite honestly astonishing. Astonishing, but appreciated.

By the time we started digging into the food, Bella was also digging into me about how I had felt when Emily left, a discussion I hadn't had with her before. It was with an intense relief that she seemed to understand my conflicted emotions, that she could so clearly see how I could be both happy and sad about it, for so many different reasons all at once.

When I was scraping up my last spoon of dessert, we'd moved on to gossiping like two old ladies about Emmett and Rosalie.

"So she still hasn't told you anything?" I posed my question before displaying my highly developed table manners by licking my spoon.

"No, she just goes all... huffy and stuff when I try to ask her, and then changes the subject. She's the worst best friend ever."

"Emmett hit me when I asked."

"What? Shut up, he did not."

"Yeah, he did. I just mentioned that you'd told me about their little stand-off, and he went all 'dude, don't even go there', so of course I had to go there."

Bella nodded seriously, sucking on her spoon. I was temporarily distracted by her mouth.

"But, uh..." My brain made me say stuff in an effort to make me stop staring at her mouth, but my dick was more interested in the staring thing, so I just sort of hummed for a beat too long. "Uh... yeah, so I asked him, casually, what that whole thing had been all about and then he glared at me for a few seconds, punched my arm and stomped off like a child."

Bella snorted with laughter. "Oh my god, what the hell happened between those two? I'm tempted to find out which store they went to and then go stalk the employees and see if anyone of them remember."

"We can be like two private investigators – you go through Rosalie's trash for receipts, I go through Em's and then we cross-check which one they've both gone to."

"Yeah, and we can see the exact time if we find the receipts from that day."

"That could totally work."

Bella burst out in giggles. "No, it wouldn't."

I laughed with her. "No, I refuse to go through Em's trash."

Bella shook her head, still giggling. "I'm just way too curious about the whole thing – I wanna know what happened! You should have seen their faces when they first saw each other. I thought Rose was going to collapse in a fit of rage induced shock or something."

She was still talking as she pushed her seat back, reaching for our plates. I ogled her boobs as she bent over the table for mine.

"I wonder if they're embarrassed or something, and that's why they won't tell us," I mused as Bella carried them over to the sink, turning on the tap. I was reminded of the first time she had come over for dinner, the day I met her. She'd insisted on taking the plates over to the sink and doing the washing up then too.

She hummed in agreement with my musings as I got out of my seat, slowly crossing the kitchen towards her. Her hair was swept up, away from her neck, leaving so much pale, beautiful skin for my eyes to drink up. As I came up behind her, my gaze was drawn towards the thin strap over her right shoulder, the only break in the cream of her complexion.

She didn't flinch or jump in surprise as I placed my hands softly on her hips, standing as close to her as I could. She just relaxed a fraction, as if my touch soothed her. I smiled to myself as I bent down and placed a soft kiss on the tip of her shoulder. I couldn't seem to stop myself from kissing her again, and again, and a little closer to the strap of her dress, and closer still. I dragged my lips as lightly as I could along her skin, kissing my way inward.

The plate in her hand drooped, a soft sigh leaving her as my nose grazed her neck. I gently inhaled, drawing in her scent and revelling in the soft, sweet notes – vanilla maybe?

"You don't have to do that," I murmured into her skin. "I'll deal with it tomorrow."

"I don't mind," she answered on a sigh as my lips travelled up to her ear.

"Well..." I nipped at her earlobe, "I do. I seem to have found something else I'd rather be doing right now than drying dishes."

She laughed softly down her nose. "Really? And what might that be, Mr. Cullen?"

My hands left her hips in favour of higher ground. She gasped as my thumbs grazed the under-wires of her bra.

"You're a smart woman, Ms. Swan; I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually," I assured her before bending down a little more to kiss her neck.

In almost no time at all, I managed to coax the plate from her hands and turn her around to face me. I didn't care that she put her wet hands through my hair as I bent down to kiss her properly. The taste of her lips sort of made me lose focus on most of everything else. The feel of her tongue made me crave more and I stepped closer still to the warmth of her body.

I needed this. I needed to lose myself in her, just for a little while. I needed to take my mind off the events of the day and just forget how difficult it had been. I needed to breathe and feel and see and hear Bella, only Bella, for just a little while.

I _needed_ this. I needed to reach down and grab a handful of her dress, pulling it up her leg. I needed to press her into the counter as she stole the breath from my mouth. I needed to feel her hands sliding through my hair, gripping me and bringing me closer, showing me that she needed this too.

I needed _her_. I needed her so badly that the strength of my emotions took me by surprise; all of a sudden, I felt almost out of control, like I couldn't stop myself from deepening the kiss, from gripping her harder, from almost wanting to... dominate her. I didn't want to be gentle and slow tonight. I wanted us to be rough and hard and needy. I wanted us to end up in a sticky, sweaty tangle once it was all over, gasping for air and unable to even fucking speak for several minutes.

Basically, I wanted us to just... _fuck_. I wanted to fuck her.

"Bella..." I groaned into her mouth, low and deep and agonised. I couldn't stop myself; my hand fisted around the material of her dress, pulling it higher up on one side as I forced my knee in between hers. She gasped against me, her grip tightening painfully on my scalp. I didn't care.

She pulled away from me just enough to look into my face, already panting with swollen, pink lips and flushed cheeks. There was a small frown on her forehead, wordless questions in every sweep of those eyes. Could she see? Could she see what I needed, how desperate I was? I hoped she could. I couldn't explain it, I couldn't put it into words in a way that she would understand. It'd be so much easier if she could just... just see, just understand and go with it, lose it with me. If she would just... _let me_.

I stared right back into her eyes, my fingers tightening their grip around her waist. I felt my mouth move, as if I were trying to formulate words, trying to build up some explanation for my sudden and abrupt change in demeanour, but nothing came out. Unsurprising, seeing as I could barely even explain it to myself.

_Please, Bella, please... please, please..._

She swallowed hard as one of her hands slid a little lower, until it was cupping my neck. Her frown slowly disappeared at whatever she saw in my face. I had no idea what she might be thinking, but the small, almost imperceptible nod she gave me was more than enough for me. My lips surged back to hers, forcefully taking control. She moaned breathlessly and opened up for me – a willing surrender, a silent permission for me to take control and make this situation whatever I needed it to be.

My dick throbbed as a barrage of images assaulted me, ideas of what I wanted to do with her flooding my mind. A particularly appealing mental picture showed me the pale skin of Bella's back, glistening with sweat and arching in a beautiful dip beneath me. I'd pull her hair loose, tangling my hands into it while strands stuck to her skin. My other hand on her hip would hold her steady as I slammed into her from behind, and she'd scream for me to go harder and faster, clawing at the sheets of my bed.

I _needed_ that. Fuck, I needed that so badly.

With a groan, I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist, lifting her away from the counter. She gasped with surprise into my lips, clamping her arms down on my shoulders and holding on for dear life as I turned and walked towards my bedroom. Her legs slowly rose and snaked around me, making me falter for a few steps as the warmth between her thighs pressed into my groin. She nipped at my lips, opening her eyes and looking at me seductively. The heat in her gaze, the lust and want I could see there, made my already throbbing cock so hard I had to suppress a groan of pain.

_Damn, these shorts are way too tight for this_.

I pulled her harder into my chest, claiming her mouth back forcefully as I continued walking. I loved that she was so completely onboard with this. Not just the... whatever-the-hell-was-going-on-with-me-thing, but just the situation as a whole. We'd been sitting down, eating dessert no more than five minutes ago for god's sake, and here I was, hauling her off to the bedroom with a nonsensical desire to dominate her for a while.

And what was she doing? She was clinging to me, stuffing her tongue down my throat. She was letting me do this, no questions asked, no coy games of hot-and-cold – nothing. She wanted this just as much as I did, and that knowledge made me want her _more_. So logically, I kissed her harder and groaned at the touch of her tongue on my own.

She whimpered in my arms, moving her hips as best as she could in her position. It made me feel like my lungs had stopped working, so it was an intense relief for several reasons when we finally arrived at my bed. I kneeled on the side and tried to lay her down gently, but she wouldn't unwind her legs fast enough and I ended up sort of falling down on top of her.

Going from the moan leaving Bella's throat as she felt my weight on her, she didn't really mind.

I untangled myself from her grip, rising to my knees again and looking down at her, dragging my fingers up her legs still wrapped around me. Both of us were struggling to breathe and she looked mindblowingly beautiful, sprawled out as she was. I was, however, willing to bet that she'd look even more beautiful naked.

I leaned back over her and let my mouth ravish her neck as I ripped down the zipper of her dress. She gasped at the tug, sinking her fingers into my shoulders and arching her neck back, giving me better access to her throat.

"That feels so good..." she murmured as I nipped and sucked at her skin.

I managed a wordless grunt in reply.

I dragged my hands roughly down her thighs, grasping the hem of her dress and pulling it upwards.

"Lift," I gasped, nudging her ass in a helpful manner. Her thighs constricted around me as she followed my command and lifted her ass off the bed, allowing me to pull the dress up to her waist. After that followed a few seconds of shimmying, yanking and tugging, and then she was lying practically naked before me. I sat up on my knees and surveyed my handy work.

I won the bet. Naked Bella Lying Across My Bed was even more beautiful than Clothed Bella Lying Across My Bed.

God, I wanted her. Immediately. I wanted to flip her over, grab her hips and just fuck her. Fuck her hard and rough and dirty and raw. Fuck her until she was screaming beneath me. Fuck her until I couldn't move another muscle.

I wanted it so much that I didn't know where to start. There was just... _so much_ to touch and taste and see and I didn't know where to begin. My eyes roamed over her body, my mouth hanging open uselessly.

"Edward..." she whispered slowly, keeping her own gaze steady on my eyes. She rose to her elbows, slowly but determinedly, never taking her eyes off me. I still didn't know what to do, so I didn't move. I just stared. Stared at how her breasts moved under the confinement of her strapless bra. Stared at how the dim light played off the gentle curves of her shoulder. Stared at how her tongue peeked out to wet her lips, while she simultaneously reached out for me.

Her hands grabbed onto my shirt, and she pulled herself into a seated position in front of me. Her legs slowly slid down my thighs, landing on the bed on either side of my knees. I stared down into her eyes as she pushed my t-shirt up, quickly exposing my stomach and chest.

_Right. I need to be naked too_.

I slid off the bed until I was standing in front of her, pulling it over my head when she couldn't reach any higher.

She shuffled closer to me, her feet softly touching the floor. With her eyes firmly locked on mine, she leaned in and kissed a trail across my stomach. I hissed at the feel of her hot mouth on my skin, knowing that I wanted – needed – it lower. She quickly unbuttoned my shorts and pushed them and my underwear down my legs. She waited while I stepped out of them before taking my cock in her hand.

"Oh, fuck..." I groaned, feeling her warm fingers wrapping around me. I definitely wouldn't be needing a lot of that before I'd completely lose my mind and grab her like some kind of animal.

Although, that did sound kind of appealing.

"I've been thinking about doing this all day," Bella murmured, as if she were sharing a huge secret with me. Then she bent forward and did some rather fantastic things with her tongue on my dick.

"Oh, _Jesus_... Bella," I panted, watching her lips as they parted and took me inside her mouth. All coherent thoughts left my head, along with any remaining blood not absolutely necessary to keep me alive and breathing.

I wanted to let her hair fall loose. I wanted to see it tumble across her back and I wanted to tangle my hands in it and hold on for dear life when she did that swirly-twirly thing with her tongue. However, I couldn't seen to really understand how she'd tied it up in the first place, and I didn't want to start yanking on her hair while she was sucking me off – that just seemed dumb. Especially considering I was already pretty fucking stupid at that moment in time, on account of being sucked off and all.

_Maybe if she sucked me off more often, I could get some practice on being able to multi-task. That seems like a legit enough reason to request daily blow-jobs_.

As it was, I settled for a gentle hand at the back of her head.

I think I was quickly falling in love with Bella's mouth. Or my dick was, at the very least. I wished I had the stamina and endurance to let her continue for like... hours, but I pulled away after only a minute or two. I wanted to _enjoy_ being inside her; I couldn't really do that if I was holding back my orgasm the whole time.

Bella looked up at me, tightening her fingers around my hips. It was clear that she was waiting for my next move – I had been the one to pull away, therefore it was obviously up to me what happened next.

"Take off your bra," I ordered her quietly, watching carefully as she released her glorious breasts. Her eyes never left my face.

"Lie back," I told her next, following her down. I leaned over her, carrying my weight on my hands. She immediately cupped my face and drew me down even further, kissing me desperately. The moan that left her almost made me lose my pathetic excuse of control. If not for the fact that she was still wearing panties, I might have just given in and thrust right into her, my fantasy about taking her from behind be damned.

As it were, I managed to pull myself away, trailing quick, impatient kisses down her throat, her chest – with a small detour of her boobs and nipples – and then down her stomach. She was panting by the time my lips brushed against the elastic waistband.

I knelt down on the floor between her legs, her ass inches from the edge of the bed, and stared at the black lace covering her. She was wearing too many clothes. I once again requested her to lift her hips so I could pull the offensive scrap of fabric from her body.

Once that was taken care of, I trailed my hands down her pale, smooth legs and grabbed a hold of each of her ankles. She gasped and twisted the sheets in her fists when I raised her legs, planting her feet on the bed.

"So beautiful, Bella..." I whispered, looking at her spread out for me like that. She only moaned in response, her hips jerking a little towards me. I chuckled quietly. "And impatient too, apparently."

This time she groaned, sounding both amused and annoyed. I laughed again, but wisely decided not to tease her anymore and bent down further. She gasped as I sucked on the skin over her hip. She exhaled shakily when I moved my lips further down. She whined when I bypassed her heat and kissed a trail on her inner thigh.

She let out a small yelp when I touched and teased her clit with my tongue. Her whole body jerked and tensed in surprise, but almost instantly gave in and relaxed into the pleasure.

"Oh god, yes... Edward... _fuck_..."

Sweeter words had never been uttered.

I loved the way she tasted. I loved her reactions, the sounds she made and the way she moved. I loved how she wouldn't get overly verbal or loud until she was getting closer to her climax – she teased me with little sighs and hisses and moans, moving her hips and arching her back. Then, as I continued to lick and suck and nibble, she started grabbing my hair, pulling me towards her, holding me there like a willing prisoner. She began swearing, mixing the cusses with my name and a multitude of groans. She soon started panting and moving more and more, until I had to hold her hips steady with my hands. She demanded _more_ and _harder_ and _faster_, and I complied because she was glorious when she became lost in her pleasure like that.

She screamed when I pushed two fingers into her wet heat. Her muscles clenched and trembled as her orgasm built and built within her. She got louder and louder until she was constantly making some kind of sound, always letting me know what I was doing to her through nonsensical moans and attempts at actual words.

Then came my favourite part. She was now gasping desperately for air, her thighs trembling on either side of me. She whimpered and her back arched higher than before.

"Edward! Oh, yes, yes, oh fuck, yes! _Shit_... yes, yes, oh god, please... _yes, yes ye-... Edward!_"

I moved my hand faster and harder against her, concentrating the movements of my tongue to the top of her slit. Her fingers dug into my scalp and suddenly she was clenching down violently around my fingers, screaming hoarsely. Her whole body jerked and trembled as her muscles contracted and released, her back arching so beautifully, a perfect bow as she threw her head back.

Her scream turned into a moan, which then started sounding somewhat similar to 'Edward' as she continued to jerk and shake. I gradually slowed my movements until Bella's hand slipped from my hair and flopped, practically boneless, onto the bed. A huge gust of air left her and she seemed to deflate completely before me. Her legs, which had been rigid and trembling only seconds before, abruptly relaxed and fell open as far as they could.

Bella looked completely worn out, like she couldn't move a muscle.

I smirked to myself, because how could I not feel proud of my accomplishments when she looked like that?

I slowly rose to my feet, crawling over her prone, boneless body. She was flushed and beautiful, the rising and falling of her chest the only movement that indicated that she hadn't died or anything. I pressed a kiss directly between her boobs. She groaned.

I chuckled and started kissing her neck, which made her groan some more. I couldn't tell if they were groans of pleasure, exhaustion or both. At least they weren't groans of protests, something my cock was very thankful for.

I had to laugh a little at her dazed expression – her mouth was open as she panted, but her eyes were closed. She looked like she didn't know up from down, and honestly didn't care either.

"Bella?" I said quietly, putting my lips against her temple. "You still in there, baby?"

She snorted and I laughed again. I then realised with a small jolt through my stomach that I had called her 'baby' for the first time. I liked it. It didn't seem like Bella minded either, but perhaps that wasn't saying very much – she wasn't exactly noticing every single detail around her at the moment. I supposed I'd just have to call her 'baby' more often, preferable when she was a bit more coherent and able to appreciate it.

"Edward... that was... _god_..."

I chuckled at her mumblings and softly caressed her waist, trailing a few kisses up and down the side of her face. I didn't know when exactly it happened, but somewhere between the kitchen and now, the strange urge to completely dominate Bella and control the entire situation had diminished somewhat. I still wanted to fuck her, hard and fast and rough, but I didn't feel like I _needed_ it anymore, which was actually somewhat of a relief. It had been a very strange feeling.

Soon Bella was able to turn her head and kiss me back, winding her heavy arms around my shoulders as she sucked on my tongue. I groaned when her legs slowly closed around my hips, trying to pull me down between them.

"Bella, wait..." I mumbled against her lips. She immediately pulled back a bit, frowning at me in confusion. I smiled and traced a finger down her cheek.

"Get on your hands and knees for me, baby," I told her quietly, slowly sliding back off the bed until I was standing in front of her again. She looked up at me with a wide-eyed expression for a few seconds, but then she blinked a few times and an excited glint took over her eyes.

She slowly and sinuously turned around, displaying that beautiful ass for me as she kneeled on the side of the bed. I think my heart stopped for a few beats when she turned her head and looked at me over her shoulder. She bit down on her lip.

She _bit down_ on her fucking _lip_, with a devious glint in her eyes. She looked so coy and sexy and just... just so... _fuckable_. It drove me completely insane.

"God woman, you'll be the death of me, I swear," I informed her in a voice made hoarse with lust. I stepped closer and grabbed a handful of her ass, squeezing delightfully. She moaned and her back dipped down, down, creating a dangerously hot sight before me. I couldn't stop myself from letting one of my hands slide along her skin, exploring the dip of her spine.

That's when she thrust back towards me, her ass connecting with my dick. That simple contact alone made me growl as my grip on her tightened. She looked me straight in the eye as she then spoke, demanding it from me.

"Fuck me, Edward."

It felt like my entire body exploded at her words. Borderline violent waves of lust slammed into me, severing any connection to my rational and intelligent self for as long as it would take for me to thoroughly ravish her.

I might have groaned, I have no idea. I just reacted to her words. If she wanted me to fuck her, I was going to fuck her.

With a firm grip on her hips, I positioned myself at her amazingly wet pussy and thrust myself in.

_Oh god, oh god, fuck, fuck, fuck..._

Bella moaned when I pulled out, echoing my sentiments exactly. Jesus, she felt good. So, so good, it was fucking unbelievable. How could she feel so good? So tight and warm and wet and fucking _perfect_. Jesus christ.

Before I could move to push myself back in, Bella did it for me by thrusting her hips back with a wanton moan. My grip on her tightened even more as I hissed in surprise. Clearly, she was getting impatient again. I began moving then, and after a few slow thrusts to allow her to adjust, I used my grip on her to pull her back forcefully just as I slammed forward.

"Oh god!" Bella's arms gave out beneath her and she slumped forward until her head rested on the mattress. This new angle must have felt amazing for her, because she screamed right into the bedspread, muffling the sound. She fisted the fabric so tightly that her hands trembled as I continued to move.

"Bella... oh _fuck_, you feel good! Shit... _ah_, god...!"

Soon the room was filled with the sound of skin slapping against skin and various groans, moans, grunts and swearwords. It was a cacophony of amazingness, if such a thing could even exist.

It didn't take long until we were both covered in sweat – the lingering heat of the day didn't exactly help. It was hot as hell in my room, and the hard, rough fucking we were engaged in wasn't exactly conductive to keeping cool. Not that I minded; the slide of our skin and the way Bella's back glistened softly only made the moment seem more erotic. I revelled in it, pushing myself even harder and faster because of it.

"Edward...! Edward, I'm gonna... _oh, oh, yes, oh fuck, yes, yes_, Edward, yes! Oh god... yes! Harder, please, oh god...!"

I grunted with every hard thrust, watching in fascination as Bella was being rocked back and forth because of my movements. She was beyond words now, each moan that left her mouth rising in pitch. I reached around her with one hand and let just the tip of a finger come in contact with her clit. Three seconds later, she fell apart. Her legs jerked on either side of my knees, her whole back going rigid. Then she convulsed beautifully, the most amazing sounds pouring out of her.

_I did that to her. Me. Jesus fuck, she's so goddamn sexy and perfect and... fuck. I want to keep doing this for eternity. I never want to stop_.

When she came back down from her second orgasm, she was almost completely boneless again. I struggled to hold her upright, not wanting her to collapse now that I was getting close myself.

"Bella, please-... oh fuck, so close... _Bella_, oh god... _Shiiiit_..."

I could feel it, rising from my balls, preparing to erupt. My whole body seemed to brace itself, my muscles tightening, my lungs working overtime, my heart pounding almost painfully in my chest. I let out a deep groan as I instinctively started thrusting harder, faster and much more frantically.

It took me a second or two to realise that Bella seemed to have found enough strength to keep herself from collapsing. I felt her start moving with me again, arching her back to bring me deeper and thrusting her hips with me. It felt fucking glorious.

"_Ah, ah...! Fuck_, I'm gonna-... oh, shit! God-...!"

Every nerve in me came alive. Every muscle locked down. My brain completely lost track of everything besides the _feeling_, coming now, faster, harder, rising up and up, and so close and _jesus christ_, and closer still and I couldn't think and I was there and everything exploded. I cried out as I lost my last shred of control, my release surging up violently, bringing with it the most outrageously amazing feeling in the world.

My cock pulsed and throbbed as I emptied myself in Bella, every locked muscles relaxing and contracting without my consent. I heard the sounds I was making, but I was powerless to control them. I felt my knees wobble, I felt my back bend forward – I felt all my strength leaving me abruptly, and I slumped forward over Bella with a drawn-out whimper.

_Fuck, that felt good_.

I tried to move a little to the side of her when we collapsed, so as not to crush her with my post-coital dead-weight body. She groaned, but it was a wholly pleasurable sound, so I just attempted a small chuckle.

_Hard, fast, rough fucking that ends in us lying in a sweaty, tangled heap, unable to move, speak or think – check._

I realised after a little while that small trembles were going through me periodically. I couldn't care less. I was more concerned with trying to breathe properly, not gaining full control of my muscles again.

I was still panting into the back of Bella's neck when she finally spoke.

"Edward...?"

"Yeah?

"That was... amazing... I don't know what brought it on... but you're more than welcome... to do it again... sometime..."

"Okay... I'll try to... remember that."

"Uh-huh..."

I couldn't respond. I just pressed myself against her a little tighter, allowing myself the indulgence of hugging her while waiting for my strength to return. She didn't seem to mind one bit.

It took a little while before either one of us could muster up the will to move, but eventually we were both cleaned up and somewhat coherent. I was a little sleepy, but it was still too early in the evening to go to bed, so we plopped our asses down in front of the TV for some mindless movie-watching. It wasn't even a moment of hesitation on Bella's part; as soon as I had settled myself into the couch, she instantly crawled into my lap and cuddled me.

I willingly folded her into my arms, burying my face in her hair every few minutes.

It was about halfway through the movie that Bella turned her head towards me a little and quietly remarked:

"I wish we could have more evenings like this."

She smiled softly then, with maybe a hint of sadness in her eyes. I echoed her expression.

"Me too. We'll get there soon."

She nodded, letting her smile grow somewhat wider. I couldn't resist leaning in and kissing those beautiful lips of hers.

It was then that the phone rang, interrupting our somewhat tender moment. I groaned in annoyance and glared at the phone, sitting in its cradle on the other side of the room. I sighed and tightened my arms around Bella when she tried to get up.

"No, let the machine get it – I'll call them back if it's anything important."

Bella shrugged and relaxed back against my chest. We both listened as the phone continued to ring, waiting for the machine to pick up.

Maybe it was the orgasm that was still lingering, making me stupid, making me forget all my precautions, because I clearly didn't think the situation through.

I should have known letting it go to voicemail would be a mistake. There was a reason I tried to avoid just that happening, after all. Of course I wouldn't want a recording of her voice, of her delusional messages. What if Maddie was around when I listened to them? It would be my worst nightmare come true.

So when she machine beeped, and the she-devil's voice spilled into the room, I had given it absolutely no thought how it would affect Bella to be thus introduced to my former mother-in-law.

"_Hello? Maddie? Are you there, sweetie? __It's me – grandma_."

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**Dun-dun-duuuuuun! **

**Rather shameless self-pimpage coming up:**

**Just thought I'd mention quickly that voting is now open for The Glove Awards, and my other story, 'Up To Scratch' is nominated. You can go here to vote for all your favourites: http:/ thegloveawards. webs. com/vote. htm Voting is open until 13****th**** August. **

**Sorry about that. **

**Anyway, you guys are all awesome and I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)**

**Until next time,**

**/Vic**


	11. Let's talk

**Here we go, people; some info about the dear ex monster-in-law. Hope you enjoy. **

**As always, bouncy 72, magnessina and OLVamptramp are angels and I love their clever brains that catch the things I don't. You're awesome, ladies; I love you.

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**

**Disclaimer**: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight; the rest is mine. No copyright infringement is intended. Any coping or reproduction of this work is not permitted without my express written authorisation.

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**Chapter 11: Let's talk**

BPOV

Who knew a simple voicemail could cause so much tension in one man's body?

The second that voice filtered out of the machine, Edward's relaxed and calm posture went rigid. His arms contracted around my middle and I felt his back go straight as his chest pushed into me from behind. Where he had been soft and warm just seconds before, he was now hard as stone. I felt myself being shifted as his thighs tightened underneath me, and the gentle rhythm of his breathing stopped completely at the sound of the woman's voice.

"_Hello? Maddie? Are you there, sweetie? It's me – grandma._"

Grandma...?

_Oh my god_.

The woman's voice sent chills down my spine, for several reasons. Not only because of who she _had to _be, but because of the odd tone she used. Expectant, but surprised. Old and delighted, as though the prospect of talking to Maddie was the best thing she could imagine, but there was something so... just so downright creepy about it, too. They way she said 'grandma' made me recoil a little. I couldn't decide if it sounded threatening or mentally unsound. Probably a terrifying mixture of both.

"_Pick up, sweetie. Please? I just want to talk to you, it's all right. Maddie? Are you there?_"

I gasped as Edward's arms tightened even more around me, like steel bars forcing the air from my lungs. He didn't seem to notice. His eyes and his entire attention was directed at the phone across the room.

Edward's breathing was picking up speed. His chest moved me up and down, up and down as I listened in growing apprehension to this woman. There was so much longing in her words now, almost frantic longing. Her old, grainy and worn tones held something wholly unpleasant about them. To be perfectly honest, she sounded kind of like how I'd imagine a pervert would talk to a child, promising them that they had candy in their car and that it was all right, because they knew the kid's mom.

It was a little disturbing, to say the least. I would have never associated or labelled her as a grandmother. Grandmother's were supposed to be kind and warm and comforting. This woman was anything but that.

"_Maddie, if you're there, pick up the phone. I just want to talk to my granddaughter for a little while, there's nothing wrong with that. _I love you_, Maddie, you know that, right?_"

I felt Edward start to tremble underneath me. His muscles were shaking, downright shaking, and I could almost feel his anger radiate into my own body. Something akin to the helplessness that accompanies intense stress surged through me, making me nervous and a little scared.

I tilted my head back so I could see Edward's face. My eyes were first drawn to the contractions of his jaw as he ground his teeth together. My gaze jumped down to his throat, the skin flushed and drawn taut over veins, muscles and tendons. The angry set of his mouth was next; with his teeth on the edge of being bared, I wouldn't have been surprised if a furious growl rumbled through them. I looked up, dimly taking in one prominent vein crossing his forehead before I found myself completely trapped by the disgust and rage burning out of his eyes.

I had never seen him this livid. I'd barely even seen him angry, for god's sake. Scrambled, useless thoughts crashed through my mind, the product of me trying to find some way to... I don't know, to _help him_, or calm him, or just do something, but there was nothing. Nothing for me to grab on to; no brilliant idea, no soothing advice or words standing by to tumble out of my mouth. I could only watch him as the voice continued to spill out of the machine.

"_Oh, Maddie. Please pick up for grandma, it's okay. You're allowed to pick up the phone, I promise. I just want to talk to you, that's all._"

At this, Edward's beautiful face twisted into a mask of pure, violent rage. My thoughts all stopped as my body's instincts took over. Adrenaline exploded into my veins, my heart thrumming violently as it pushed it through my bloodstream. I wanted to cower, I wanted to get away from Edward, despite my better judgement. I knew he'd never hurt me, and I knew his anger wasn't directed at me, and I knew he would never act out against me, but I couldn't help my primal reaction. Edward was scaring me in that moment, and a small part of my mind whispered anxiously for me to fight my way out of his iron grip.

_It's not the same, it's not the same, don't even think about that right now, it's not the same, Edward would never-... don't even think about it, Bella! Stop it, stop it, stop it, right now, just stop it. It's not the same_.

"_Maddie? Oh, Maddie?_"

The old woman sing-songed the little girl's name enticingly, and I felt my face automatically move to express my dislike of it. What the hell was going on here?

There was a pause in her message; the only sound heard throughout the room was Edward's harsh breathing and the movie still playing in the background. Seconds passed as she waited in vain. She must have realised Maddie wasn't going to pick up the phone, because when she spoke again, her voice slithered out of the machine, laced with venomous accusations.

"_Has your 'daddy' told you not the answer the phone? Hmm?_"

She sneered the term, as if it truly offended her, and I couldn't hold back the shocked gasp that left me. She had gone from sickly sweet to disgustedly hateful in a matter of seconds, and there was no mistaking who she was aiming her feelings towards. Edward's arms suddenly went from feeling like they were holding me back, to being more like something to hold _him_ back. As if his grip on me was the only thing restraining him from flying across the room to pick up the phone and either scream obscenities at the woman, or launch the thing at a wall.

"_Your _precious_ daddy is a bad man, Maddie. You hear me? A _bad man_. You have no idea what he's done, or what he's capable of doing. Don't listen to him, Maddie! He's a cruel, cruel man_."

The silence after her statement lasted no longer than a second or two, but it felt like the world stopped regardless. Ice cold fear crackled down my spine, spreading quickly around my ribcage and chilling my skin. What the hell was she talking about? The ice chased the hot adrenaline through my veins, causing goosebumps to rise all over me. A bad man? Edward? No, no, that just wasn't possible, no way. Absolutely not. Edward was a good man. A really good man. I knew that. No way was he cruel...

Edward froze, just like I had done. His trembling, his breathing, his clenching muscles and grinding teeth – it all stopped at her words. His intense stillness spoke of such anger that he couldn't even move.

_Edward isn't bad, he isn't cruel, he's a good, good man, a kind man and an amazing father, and he isn't bad or cruel..._

"_Listen to me, Maddie! You can't trust him. All he does is spew lies! He's trying to-_"

Her message cut off abruptly, a high-pitched beep announcing the end. I didn't dare move or breathe, even as cold sweat pricked at the base of my skull.

Edward blinked, the furious statue coming to life. A deep growl hissed between his teeth and he started trembling again. He swallowed with great difficulty, and then I was suddenly sliding off his lap.

The removal of his iron grip around my waist automatically made my lungs fill with air. Before I'd even really been deposited on the couch, Edward was off it, striding across the room with fire trailing behind him in angry streaks. He punched the delete button so hard I half expected his finger to go straight through the machine.

With a forceful exhale, he then braced his hands on the table in front of him, dropping his head down to his chest. I sat in silence, just watching him. What else could I do?

'_Oh hey, Edward, would you mind an awful lot telling me what the hell that was all about? Because I'm kind of freaking out here after hearing your former mother-in-law calling you a bad and cruel man, and even though I find that really hard to believe, I still don't really know what to think, because she wouldn't really be saying that about you unless she had a reason_.'

Yeah, I'm sure that would go over swimmingly.

So I watched and waited. Watched tremors ripple down his back as he fought for some semblance of control, and waited while he decided what he needed to do now. I hoped he would decide to explain some things to me, but with something as personal as that message had been, and all the implications it brought with it, who was I to demand to know anything. This was clearly something Edward had issues with, and I could wait until he felt comfortable discussing them with me.

That didn't mean I _wanted to_, but I would. I could definitely appreciate not wanting to discuss ghosts from the past. It would probably be a while before I could let him know about mine.

Finally though, he spoke. His voice was strained, trembling and angry, despite his obvious effort to hold his emotions back.

"That doesn't... happen very often. I don't fucki-, I don't _let_ that... happen. I don't _like_ voicemails. Because of that. H-her."

He choked on the last word, his head dipping even further down as he hunched his shoulders. I nodded dumbly, fully aware of how useless the action was as he couldn't see me, but unable to not acknowledge his words somehow.

I waited for him to say more, but he seemed to still be struggling for control. After a few moments of silence passed, I hesitantly spoke up.

"Was that...? I mean, is she...?"

"Emily's mother, yes."

I drew a shaky breath and nodded again, more to myself than anything. It felt weird, thinking about Edward's _ex-wife's mother_. I had always, logically, known that Maddie had family-ties on her mother's side, but since Emily was such a distant part of her and Edward's lives, I'd never consciously thought about them. I had never really considered where they were or if they had some sort of role to play in Maddie's life.

I guess I sort of pushed Emily and everything that had to do with her away. It honestly wasn't that often that I thought of her; she left them, and in my mind, that was that. Obviously my mind and reality were two very separate places.

"She lives in Phoenix," he suddenly offered, quietly. Then, as an afterthought, "alone."

"Oh?"

I barely saw the affirmative bop of his head. He lapsed back into silence, and I reverted to my waiting.

After about a minute, his breathing had slowed significantly. He seemed much calmer now, as if he were over the worst of it. When he spoke again his voice had lost most of the heated anger that had lingered before.

"I'm sorry about... that, Bella. You shouldn't have had to hear that."

I floundered for words to say in response, even as my mouth went on ahead. "That's okay."

His unamused chuckle seemed out of place, warring with the residual tension in the room. "No, it's far from okay. We both know that."

Neither my mouth or my brain could think of anything to say in response to that, so I stayed quiet and watched as he slowly pushed himself upright and turned to face me.

A deep frown darkened his eyes, and he still looked troubled, but the furious and scary expression from earlier was gone. He seemed resigned and tired now, more than anything. He leaned back against the table and looked down at the floor.

"I've been planning to tell you this stuff. Eventually. I don't want you to think it's something I've been hiding from you on purpose."

He glanced up at me quickly, just in time to see me shake my head.

"I don't think that."

He nodded slowly and cast his eyes back down to the wooden floor.

"Good. Maybe you've already realised this, based on that... _phone call_, but it's... I mean, it's complicated. Fuck, I'm sorry, I just-... I'd been planning on telling you this stuff later, you know? When you and I were a bit more... established. Like, a few months down the line. Or something, I don't know."

"I get it."

"Yeah. But that's kind of not possible anymore. I have to tell you now, after _that_."

I didn't want to say no. I didn't want to say that he didn't have to explain if he wasn't comfortable with it right now. I wanted to know what was going on, because what I had just witnessed and heard was confusing the hell out of me, and it felt like something I should know more about as Edward and I became... established.

But I still said it, because I'd do that for him.

"No, Edward, you don't. I understand if you-"

"Bella."

He looked at me with raised eyebrows and just shook his head. He was clearly having none of that.

_Well, okay then. Carry on_.

I raised my hands in defeat, and he actually cracked a smile. With a small push of his hands, he left the table and crossed the room towards me. The couch dipped as he sat down, left foot tucked under his right, arm leaning against the back of the couch. I shifted to mirror his position after turning off the TV, and he reached over to grab my free hand.

"So... that was my former mother-in-law, Eileen. I don't really know where to start with all of this, so I'll just... from the beginning, as they say."

"That is generally a good place to start."

"Right. Well, I guess that would be after Emily left. The last time I ever actually heard from her was when she sent divorce papers to me a few months later. Through a lawyer, of course. She included these forms, where she signed off any and all parental rights to Maddie, giving me full custody of her. She promised to never contact either me or my daughter ever again, no matter what the reason might be. Basically, she eliminated all the loop-holes. She knew that leaving meant _really_ leaving; she had to do it right. It wouldn't be fair to anyone if she suddenly regretted it years down the line and tried to come back, you know?"

I nodded and squeezed his fingers as he continued.

"So, that was kind of this huge... wake-up call or something. She was really _gone_. For good. And when I realised that, all these thoughts and plans and images I had of my future sort of just crumbled, because they'd all involved her. Like I'd sometimes think about when Maddie would graduate first grade – Emily would somehow be there. Or Maddie going off to college, or her first date, or getting freaking married and all that stuff. Emily was always there, somehow, even if it was only in the background. I mean, I married the woman – obviously I'd given our future a bit of thought.

"And even some of the thoughts I'd had about me being the one to leave... I still always assumed that we'd have joint custody, or some kind of visitation schedule and whatever else. Even then, Emily was there, in the background."

He buried his free hand deep into his hair, his eyes trained somewhere around my right hip; I knew he wasn't really seeing it though. He was somewhere else entirely.

"But when I realised what those documents meant, and all those images came crashing down, I didn't know what my future looked like anymore. It was so strange, suddenly having these huge holes in my plans. I realised I had to completely reconstruct everything, if that makes sense. And the quickest and easiest way to do that was to completely forget about Emily. To just ignore everything that was connected to her.

"Maddie wasn't 'our' daughter anymore. She became mine. All me. I sort of see Emily as nothing more than an egg donor at this point. She was never really Maddie's mother, in any sense of the word. And my own ties to her, husband and wife and all that... it just seems so... strange. As if it happened a really long time ago. It almost doesn't matter to me anymore. I've just completely cleaned Emily out of my 'system' or whatever."

His eyes shifted up to mine, and he almost looked a little ashamed of how he'd dealt with her abandonment. I just smiled softly and squeezed his hand again. There would be no judgement from me. He smiled back and nodded.

"So, anyway... A couple of weeks before Maddie's fourth birthday, I got this package in the mail. Or well, it was actually addressed to her, which I thought was a bit strange. And when I looked for the return address, it said ' E. Beaton'."

He shook his head with a dry chuckle. "Beaton is Emily's maiden name."

I felt my mouth fall open. "Wha-...? Did she actually send-"

"No, no. It wasn't Emily. But I definitely thought it was at first, just like you. So I opened the package, to see what it was – it was a fucking miracle I didn't rip the damn thing to shreds, I was so angry. But inside there was a birthday present, all wrapped up and with a card and everything. That's when I really lost my shit. I was just so... furious, thinking that Emily had had the nerve to send _my_ daughter something for her birthday. But, it turned out to be this hand-knit little dress thing, and I couldn't understand why Emily would send something like that. I finally looked at the card and understood that it wasn't _Emily_ Beaton, but _Eileen_ Beaton who had sent it."

"Ah, her grandmother."

"Right."

"What did you do? I mean, how did she even find you?"

Edward shrugged.

"I have no idea. But I hid the gift in my room until the next day, when I could get rid of it. I didn't want Maddie to see it, you know?"

At my nod, he continued, the hand buried in his hair moving down to cup the back of his neck.

"I didn't do it to be mean or anything, I just didn't want Emily's mother in our lives, for obvious reasons. I mean, Maddie wouldn't be able to understand why Eileen could be there, but not Emily. It would have been a different situation altogether if Emily had passed away or something, but she didn't. She _left_, by choice, and that makes me want absolutely nothing about her in our lives anymore. And that includes Eileen."

He sounded so tired and worn, which wasn't really surprising. After his emotional conversation with Maddie earlier today, having all of this happen on top of that seemed almost cruel.

"But the damn card she'd written, it was so... it worried me. It was so..."

He struggled with words, and I dipped my head lower to try to look into his eyes.

"What did it say?"

Edward sighed and dropped his hand from his neck. It landed on the back of the couch with a dull thud.

"It was like she didn't even acknowledge our situation at all, you know? As if her daughter hadn't left us and signed away all her parental rights to the granddaughter she was doting on. A granddaughter she hasn't even met, for god's sake..."

My brow creased in confusion as he slowly trailed off.

"She's never met Maddie? Not even while Emily was still with you?"

He shook his head slowly, looking down at his lap.

"No. Emily didn't... well, she didn't really have the best relationship with her parents. She didn't even invite them to our wedding." He scoffed. "I was the one who eventually convinced her to even tell them she was pregnant. I guess that might account for her own lack of like... maternal instincts, if you know what I mean. She liked to act like whatever happened in her childhood, whatever she had to deal with when it came to her parents, didn't really bother or affect her at all. She never really told me anything, but there's always a reason behind the kind of relationship she had with them."

He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice was much softer than before.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if that wasn't partly why she left. Like if she didn't want Maddie to have to grow up in the same kind of environment that she did."

"It wouldn't surprise me. It could have been a subconscious factor, definitely. Maybe she was scared of becoming like her parents."

He made a noise of agreement.

"She really hated her mother. It was so easy to see, no matter how much she insisted that she didn't give a shit either way. So there was never even a question of inviting them for a visit, or going to see them so they could meet Maddie. We didn't even send them pictures. Emily just... basically, she pretended they didn't exist, and I kind of did too. I mean, I knew them from when we were younger and dating in high school and stuff, but even then I only met them a handful of times. We never hung out at her house or anything like that.

"Then they moved away to Phoenix when she and I went off to college, and since then I never really gave them much thought. All of that made it really easy to just completely forget about them when Emily left; I just lumped them with all the other Emily-related stuff and pushed it from my mind. But that card that Eileen wrote... it was like she was just sending along another present, as if she'd been doing it all the time, and it sounded as if she was expecting to see Maddie soon or something."

Edward frowned and I could see his jaw move as he clenched his teeth worriedly.

"I threw the card away; gave the sweater to charity. And then I hoped I would never hear from her again. Clearly, that didn't happen."

He gestured back at the phone with his head and I sighed quietly. He definitely heard from her again, and she apparently just got crazier and crazier over time.

"So what happened next? More presents?"

"Yeah, she sent one for Christmas. Gift and a card for Maddie, just like before. Only this time, she included a note, to me." At this, a small flare of irritation lit up his eyes. "That fucking note-... you know what it said? The woman had the damn nerve to question how I was raising _my_ daughter, just because she hadn't received a fucking 'thank-you'-note. She wondered if I was making sure I taught Maddie some 'proper manners', something she then insinuated that I myself might be fucking lacking."

Edward threw his hand in the air while I gaped incredulously.

"What? That's ridiculous; you're an amazing dad. Maddie has very nice manners."

He managed to give me a small smile in thanks, but there was tension in his lips and eyes that didn't melt away.

"Yeah well, needless to say, I didn't bother responding to that one either. I threw away the card, donated the gift and again hoped that would be the last I'd ever hear from her. But she called here, two weeks later."

I raised an eyebrow. I wondered if she had been a creepy old woman then too.

"She was... well, I don't know really. It was weird. I hadn't expected to hear from her like that, and she wasn't being rude to me or anything, so the only thing I could really do was keep the conversation polite. She started telling me these really random things about her life, like she was filling me in on things I'd missed since the last time we spoke or something. Which is of course weird, seeing as we never actually talked. I think I've spent a cumulative amount of like 10 minutes in her presence, ever.

"Anyway, so she told me how her husband had passed away the year before. I actually think that might have messed with her head a little, if you know what I mean. She doesn't have any other living relatives, and with Emily not talking to her... I guess the loneliness sort of got to her or something. So she apparently decided to take a great interest in her granddaughter's life."

I shook my head slowly in both disbelief and pity – or something similar to it, at least – for the woman. It was sad that she was all alone now, but I couldn't help but agree with Edward's thought that she must have gone a bit insane. I suppressed a shiver as I thought back to her voice on the phone.

"I told her, as politely as I could, that I appreciated her wishes and everything, but that I just couldn't let her into Maddie's life, at least not now when she's this young. She wouldn't understand it, and Eileen would just complicate her life too much. I told her I was sorry, but... I just couldn't allow her to have any contact with my daughter."

He sighed and stuck his hand into his hair again. "She didn't really like that. She started calling every now and then after that. She was nice enough at first, trying to convince me to come visit, or to allow her to come stay for a while. I kept telling her no, explaining why I couldn't do that, and she kept trying to use the lonely old lady angle to gain my sympathy or something..."

He trailed off then and his eyes slid over to the wall across from us, where the phone was. A beautiful selection of framed photographs hung on the wall, some in black and white, and some in colour. I had recognised Edward's hands and arms in them immediately when I first noticed them. The small feet and hands encased in his larger ones could belong to no one but Maddie. Edward had told me that Alice had been the mastermind behind them; when the two of them moved up to Seattle, she had given him a session with a photographer as a gift, to signify a fresh start for them.

The photos spoke of how much Edward loved his daughter, and how the absence of her mother didn't really matter. Edward was parent enough to fill her place, and then some.

"... but, I can honestly say that I don't really care how lonely she is. My concern is for Maddie and making sure she's okay, and I know that 'helping' Eileen with her loneliness is not what's best for Maddie. I know that Eileen has no actual rights to demand to see Maddie, especially not after Emily left and the documents she signed. Technically, in the eyes of the law, Maddie doesn't even have a mother. And on top of that, they've never even met each other either, so Eileen really doesn't have a case against us."

His gaze left the pictures on the wall and returned to me. There seemed to be a lot going on behind those eyes of his, and I caressed his knuckles with my thumb in sympathy.

"Anyway; when I continued to refuse her, she started getting a little less polite. And a hell of a lot more angry. She started yelling at me over the phone and stuff, and eventually I would just hang up on her. She doesn't like it when I do that. Sometimes she'll call like five times in a row, and then I have to answer just to get rid of her. She's now taken to sending me emails too, and calling me a 'bad' and 'cruel' man, as you heard, for what she thinks I'm doing to her."

I frowned in confusion until it dawned on me what he meant.

"Oh, she thinks you're keeping her away from Maddie to be mean or something?"

"Yeah," he said with a sigh, raising his hand to rub at his eyes.

"Wow, that's... I think you're right; she's slightly insane. And really selfish. I mean, I guess I get that she wants to see her granddaughter and that she's lonely, but how can she not understand what that might do to Maddie? There's no way in hell it won't have a negative effect on her if her other grandmother is suddenly introduced into her life like this. At least while she's still so young. Maybe when she's older, sure – she might understand then, but now? No way."

I shook my head as Edward looked at me with a grateful smile.

"Exactly. Thank you. Look, I'm not going to lie, I've been... maybe a little worried that you wouldn't understand my decisions with this. Like you wouldn't be able to see _why_ I'm... doing this, but..."

"No, no, I get it, I really do."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, of course. But how often does she call? I mean, it seems like she's bothering you a lot. Can't you like... change your number or something?"

He sighed and nodded tiredly. "Yeah, I could change my number, but I guess I'm just being stubborn or something. It's like... I don't _want_ to have to change my number just because of her, you know? Kind of like, she'll win if she forces me to do that. I'm holding on to the hope that she'll take the hint soon and just leave us alone or something. If she doesn't... well, then I'll do what I have to."

"What you have to? What, like... legal action or something?"

"Yeah," he hedged. "I'd rather not have to drag lawyers and shit into this, though. As I said, she doesn't have a case against me and with the circumstances as they are... I think I could easily get a restraining order if I had to. But I won't pursue anything like that until I absolutely _have to_. I'm still hoping I can make her understand why I'm doing this."

I nodded and squeezed his hand before we both fell into silence, doubtlessly thinking of the same things. I was mostly trying to process all of this, thinking of how Edward just couldn't seem to shake off the Emily-issue once and for all. Would he never be free of her? She clearly wanted him to be, just like she wanted to be free of him and Maddie; she wouldn't have left if that wasn't the case.

But Edward still had a lot to deal with. As far as I could tell, he was only now starting to reconcile with what she had done. Based on what he himself had told me, and his thoughts about _why_ she did it and how it made him feel, he must have finally been able to sort through everything and organise his emotions. He didn't speak of it like a man who was still a mess, unable to hone in the central issues and see both sides of it. Edward could do that, and he had many in-depth comments and musings about it all.

He must have been a wreck in the months following Emily's abandonment, and with a small baby to take care of on top of all that... it was a miracle he was still sane. I looked over at the wall of photographs again, and I knew that he had his family to thank for a lot of things. He probably wouldn't have made it without them.

Edward's soft and repentant voice finally broke the silence, surprising me a little.

"Bella, I'm sorry."

I turned back to him; I'm sure my surprise and confusion must have shown on my face.

"For what?"

He sighed and looked down at his lap.

"For all of this. I know it's a lot to... a lot to deal with, and I-... I mean, we've only known each other for four weeks, and I'm sitting here telling you all about my crazy ex-mother-in-law. I'm surprised you haven't run out the door."

I laughed despite myself. He looked up, seeming surprised by my reaction. I shook my head and cupped his cheek.

"You're a silly man sometimes, Edward."

He continued to look surprised, so I climbed onto his lap and kissed him softly. I liked being on his lap more than the couch anyway.

"You're a silly man with a very complicated life," I told him as he wound his arms around me, "but a crazy ex-mother-in-law isn't going to chase me off. You won't get rid of me that easily. I like you too much and I think I'll stay around for a while."

I didn't know where exactly I got the courage to be so forthcoming with him in that moment; it mostly just tumbled out of my mouth before I could over-think it too much. I just hoped it was something he wanted to hear, and not something that would cause _him_ to be the one running out the door.

Apparently it was the former, because his ears turned a little red and a shy smile broke out on his face. I wish I only blushed with my ears, too.

"Yeah? Well, that's a relief, because I kinda like you too." He started drawing circles on my back and I shivered as he continued in a whisper, "very much."

My cheeks flamed up with pleasure and a joyous feeling tickled through my chest. I leaned in and kissed him softly, both of us lingering in the warmth and comfort of it for several moments. I pressed myself closer and he sighed, sounding tired but much more calm and relaxed as I nestled my face into his neck.

We held each other close for a while; the setting sun, which had painted the whole room with a orange warmth, slowly sank and left us in a growing darkness. We didn't move until my legs turned numb beneath me and I could barely make out his face in the lack of light. We didn't speak anymore after that. With a small kiss he asked me what I wanted to do next, and I responded by taking his hands and leading him back to his room.

Perhaps it was a desire to not let the phone call completely ruin our evening that led us to connecting the way we did.

We moved slowly as we undressed each other, kissing and touching and seeing as much of the other's skin as we could. We cocooned ourselves under the covers, pressed together as closely as we could get. Arms and legs and fingers and toes caressed and wrapped around the other until all that was left to do was move. Wordlessly we moved together, letting the whisper of skin against skin and our increased breathing be the only sounds in the room. A moan would break free every now and then, but if it was from him or me, I couldn't be sure. When I finally came undone in his arms, he pressed his lips against my open mouth and swallowed the sounds that belonged to him. And when he came, trembling in my arms, he did so with his lips against my neck so I could feel him groaning my name.

When we fell asleep, we did so with arms and legs tangled together, both of us reluctant to give up on the connection we had formed. It was one of the best nights sleeps I'd had in a while.

««◊◊»»

The next morning, Edward seemed to have let go of his frustration from the night before. He didn't say much until he was sipping his second cup of coffee, but that was completely normal; he claimed his brain couldn't deal well with words without at least one cup in his system, and I was starting to agree with that.

We ate breakfast out on his balcony and made a few plans to meet during the week for lunch. We both left at the same time – me to drive home and he to go pick up Maddie from the last of her scheduled sleepovers. I was kind of sad that she wouldn't be going to any more of those in the foreseeable future, since they had allowed us to have sleepovers of our own. But I held on to Edward's promise from last night that we would get there soon, and reminded myself that we needed to take things slow and carefully. Maybe it was for the best that sleepovers would be scarce for a while.

That's what I tried to convince myself of, anyway.

I spent the day writing a little, but found myself a bit uninspired. I kept wishing I could go be with Edward instead of sitting in my apartment with only a puppy and a few fictional characters to keep me company. That was usually all I needed to have an enjoyable time, but lately I'd found myself wanting something else entirely.

I wanted to take my laptop and go sit on Edward's balcony while I wrote. He could be inside, playing with Maddie or preparing dinner or working in his office, I didn't really care. I just wanted to be where he was; I wanted to be able to see him out of the corner of my eye every once in a while. I wanted to kiss him in passing as I got a glass of water from the kitchen, or feel his hand softly trailing down my arm in a silent gesture of companionship. I wanted him to stick his head out the balcony door to ask me how things were going and then retreat back to his own work after ensuring that I was fine.

Then I wanted to put my work away for the night and sit down with him and his daughter to eat, before curling up on the couch and spending an hour or two watching TV. Then, almost more than anything, I wished that Edward and I could fall asleep next to each other, and when the new day started, we'd do the same thing all over again.

It scared me how much I wanted that. It was crazy to want that after only four weeks of knowing each other. It was downright stupid to be wanting that when it was so important that we were smart about this and took things slow. I shouldn't want those things so early, should I? I shouldn't want to become a permanent fixture in Edward and Maddie's life when I hadn't even told him the name of the first boy I kissed or how old I was when I lost my virginity. I shouldn't want to basically live with him when I didn't know if he was allergic to anything or if he'd ever broken a bone. I shouldn't want all of that when I didn't even know how to tell him of my own ghosts from my life back in New York.

I was supposed to listen to what my brain told me was logical, because my brain was smart and objective. My brain knew not to rush into this thing and it had many solid arguments to support its case. However, I _still_ – despite my brain's indisputable logic – found myself wanting to listen to my heart.

And my heart was becoming very loud indeed.

* * *

**I'm happy to tell you guys that there is now a thread for this story on Twilighted. There's a link on my profile if you want to go there to discuss the story, look at the bunch of DILF-porn that's posted or just be on the look-out for teasers. **

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thank you so much for reading. **

**Until next time, **

**/Vic **


	12. Like macaroni and cheese

It's been a very long wait for this chapter – I'm sorry about that. Long story short, I started University a month ago, and I chose to put my writing on hold for a little while. However, I think I've settled in quite well now, and I'm trying to fit in as much writing time as possible.

If you guys are still here, wanting to continue to read this story, thank you all so much. Again, I'm sorry for the long wait – hopefully this won't happen again. I'll definitely try to make sure it won't.

Hope you all enjoy this long-overdue chapter.

As always, bouncy 72, magnessina and OLVamptramp – I owe you big time for all the help you offer, and I couldn't be more grateful to you.

**Disclaimer**: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight; the rest is mine. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Like macaroni and cheese**

BPOV

Summer seemed to disappear very quickly and abruptly. One day it was nice and warm, with sunshine, clear blue skies, and the opportunities to wear skirts and dresses were abundant. Then, as if fall had literally _fallen_ into our laps, I woke up one morning freezing my butt off.

It was about two weeks after the Eileen-incident that summer decided it was too lazy to stick around, and I shivered as I poked my feet outside of my toasty warm covers.

_No, no, no, no, no... how about you just stay in bed all day? So nice and warm…_

After several minutes of playing the hokey-pokey with my legs, I finally forced myself to sit up and face the dull, grey, cold morning.

I sighed as I drew back the curtains and stared out at the dismal view. The churning grey clouds looked heavy, burdened with rain that I knew it would unload on us before lunch-time.

"Better dig out those sweaters..." I mumbled stupidly to myself, frowning at the outside world. I shivered and wrapped my arms closer to my chest, briefly looking down to admire the cleavage this created.

Edward would have admired it too, if he were here.

With a melodramatic sigh, I leaned my forehead against the ice cold window, hissing slightly as my skin protested against the contact.

I missed waking up next to Edward. I wished he could have been there with me at that very moment, standing behind me, warming me up with his big, manly chest and strong, manly arms and hot, sexy kisses.

But alas, sleepovers were still not within the realm of possibilities. We were getting closer to the point where Maddie might be able to accept them, but in the spirit of 'taking it slow', any step in our relationship was handled with utmost caution. While other people barely gave those steps a second thought, we treated them like active bombs.

But it was just so hard to sleep alone, because it was severely cutting into mine and Edward's alone-time. He'd been a bit busier at work these last couple of weeks, making it hard – both interpretations of the word applied – for him to steal away at lunch for a quickie here and there. It had been almost a week since I last saw him naked, and it was definitely taking its toll. It was all just so _hard_.

Or, as Edward had so maturely whined on the phone last night, it was '_constantly_ hard'.

It was perhaps a funny coincidence that while the difficulties in our situation reflected themselves in the state of Edward's pants, the wet weather of today reflected itself in the state of mine.

With one last despondent sigh that fogged up the window, I finally pushed away from it in order to get ready. I had to take Rose in to the hospital – we had high hopes that her cast was coming off today, in order to be replaced by some other form of support. I knew she couldn't wait to get the heavy thing off her leg, no matter what its replacement might be.

Her number one complaint all this time had been that she couldn't shave her legs. I chose to see that as her being an optimist or something.

With a towel in hand, I headed for the shower, stopping only because of my phone awakening. I smiled when Edward's name appeared on the screen.

**Just woke up from a dream about you. I definitely need to buy you a Naughty Nurse outfit. I'm insanely hard right now**_**. **_**–E**

My ass met the bed with a bouncing plod, the mattress protesting loudly against my sudden weight. I stared blankly at the phone in my hand, while image after tantalising image of Edward's bulge sprang up in my mind like... well, like erections, to be perfectly frank.

My fantasies about Edward's dick were behaving like dicks.

The subsequent texting back-and-forth lasted for several minutes and did absolutely nothing in helping me out with that situation in my pants. Unsurprisingly, it only got worse. When I did finally get into the shower, I may have spent a bit more time in there than I normally did.

Thank god for detachable showerheads.

««~◊~»»

"I don't know if I can take another two weeks of this," Rose complained loudly, hobbling skilfully out the doors of the hospital, sans cast. In its place was a bulky boot, just like we had hoped for. What we had not hoped for, however, was the doctor telling her she had to wait at least 10 more days before putting any weight on it. She was therefore forced, grudgingly, to continue to hop along her merry way.

"Well, at least you can take it off for bed," I offered in an attempt to cheer her up. "And you won't have to wrap your leg with plastic like a dick with a condom on every time you need to take a shower."

A less disgruntled Rose would have laughed. The one I currently had to deal with only threw me a murderous glare as we made our way to the car.

"Nice, Bella. Not only are you mocking a cripple, but you're comparing my leg to male genitalia, which is just reminding me of the fact that, unlike you, I'm not currently getting laid on a regular basis. Way to rub it in."

I gaped at her. "'Rub it in'? Are you insane? You're talking to a woman who, up until very recently, hadn't had sex for 14 months. Believe me, I'd never rub it in."

She still had a frown on her face as she patiently waited for me to open the passenger-side door for her. "Okay fine, your dry-spell was worse than the one I'm going through, but at least you have Edward now. So yeah, excuse me for being a little bitter about you getting to bang someone with that face," she said while handing me her crutches. As she was awkwardly lowering herself into the car, she added a resigned, "Not to mention someone with that ass."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes at her as I placed her crutches in the backseat. "Oh, please, like you couldn't get someone mindblowingly hot too, if you wanted to."

An indignant gasp left her. "What do you mean, 'if I wanted to'? You make it sound like I don't! You think I haven't been trying to find someone I like?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "You're picky as hell, Rose. There have been a few really nice guys hovering around you, and you always turn them down."

I closed the door in her face before she could respond, allowing her to stew in her irritation with me while I wandered around to my side. As soon as I settled into the seat, she rounded on me.

"I don't turn them down! I just don't waste my time on them."

"Yeah, that's generally referred to as 'turning them down'."

"And there haven't been that many," she continued as if I'd never spoken.

"No, but there've been enough. There have been ample opportunities for you to 'get some', so you really can't complain. You're the one cockblocking yourself all the time." With that, I started up the car and began our drive home, slowly making my way out of the parking lot.

"Dude, would it hurt you to be a little nicer to me? I'm recovering from surgery."

"Sorry no, I ran out of sympathy last week when you forced me to wake up at six in the morning so I could make you breakfast."

"Fine, miss Smarty McGetslaidalot."

"'Smarty McGetslaidalot'? That's a little awkward to pronounce, don't you think?"

"Seriously, shut up, Swan."

"Whatever, Hale. You know just as well as I do that if you were just looking to get laid, you would have been on your back months ago."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It's supposed to mean that you're obviously holding out for something – or someone – because you know that you want more than the occasional humping."

When the silence stretched on, I looked over quickly – her set face, the small pucker of her lips and the tiny frown between her eyebrows told me I'd hit a nerve.

"Oh, I love being right."

She scoffed, which only made me laugh.

"I don't know why you try to deny it, Rose. When I came to visit you in the hospital after the accident, and you were high as a kite, you basically admitted to wanting to be in a committed relationship."

Again, the silence stretched on until it was broken a few seconds later by Rose's horrified gasp.

"Oh my god," she exclaimed, sounding mortified. "I'd forgotten all about that!"

I cackled insensitively.

"Oh god, shut up. I can't be held accountable for anything I said while super-high on painkillers."

"Oh, I'd disagree – don't all our truths come out when we're drunk? I think the same logic applies here. You weren't exactly lying or making stuff up, Rose."

"Well, so what if I want a relationship? Like you said, I'm fucking picky and I can never find a guy I like enough to want to actually date him. You're lucky you found Edward."

I smiled. I was lucky.

"Well, if you want someone like Edward, he does have a brother. Or well, technically cousin, but you know what I mean."

I tried to hold back a smile, biting my tongue to do so.

"If you're talking about the fucking giant, Bella, I swear to god I will open this door and roll out of the car."

"Giant? I never said anything about a giant."

"No, you're right. He's more like Shrek."

I snorted and rolled my eyes at her.

"Oh please. Emmett looks nothing like Shrek. He's really hot."

"Yeah, hot for dick. He's probably gay."

"Rose! Stop it. I really don't think Emmett's gay."

"I don't know, ever since you two rearranged my closet, I haven't been able to find my Prada purse. I bet he stole it. I bet he walks around in his apartment, dressed in women's clothes."

I spared her as long of a disbelieving face as I could without causing an accident on the road.

"What the hell, Rose?"

"What?"

"Stop it. Seriously, you two need to sit down and have a calm, rational conversation or something. Whatever the hell happened between you, you need to sort it out. I think he'd be kinda perfect for you, actually, if you'd just let yourself-"

"Oh my god, don't make me barf. I'll do it in your car too, so it'll stink of vomit."

"You're disgusting. I don't know why I'm friends with you."

"It's because I'm so hot, obviously."

"No, I think it's just your hair colour that makes me feel superior in regards to intellect."

"Are you calling me a dumb blonde?"

She reached over and pinched my arm, making me yelp.

"Rose, I'm driving! Jesus, woman."

"Then _drive_, instead of sitting there and insulting me."

"Ugh, fine. But I really do think you and Emmett should try to-"

"Not gonna happen, Bella. If I ever see that man again, I'll try to kill him with my crutches."

I said no more on the subject for the rest of the ride home.

Rose sat quietly next to me, looking out the window. I had no idea what she was thinking about, but something told me it might have been Emmett – her fists kept randomly clenching as if she were angry, which was actually quite worrying.

The curiosity about what had happened between those two was sure to kill me. Any new scenario and possible explanation that my mind conjured up was crazier than the last, and I was pretty sure that if I ever did find out the truth, I'd either be going '_wait, that's it?_' or '_oh my god, that's much worse than anything I imagined_.'

We were almost home when she finally tore her eyes away from the window and turned to me. A somewhat plastered-on smile appeared on her face.

"So, how are things going between you and Edward?"

I raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't contend her change of topic.

"It's good. Great, actually." I smiled and turned down on our street. "I haven't seen him very much this past week though, so that kind of sucks I suppose."

"And the sex?"

I laughed.

"Going straight for the juicy details, huh?"

She shrugged unapologetically. "We both know we'd stray back into that topic anyway – I just took a shortcut."

"I approve of all shortcuts that lead to sex. But yeah, the sex is... _amazing_. Like last week; I don't know what came over him, but all of a sudden he was just like... I don't even know, but he was so _forceful_ and dominating and... and... _desperate_." I turned to Rose, gesticulating with my hand. "You know what I mean? Like he just _had_ to have me, right then and there. It was just... jesus christ."

Just thinking about it made a wave of heat rise in my cheeks, undoubtedly colouring them pink. I shook my head and tried to concentrate on parking my car instead of thinking back on last Saturday and the look in Edward's eyes in the kitchen.

Rose dramatically fanned herself with her hand, making me laugh at her.

"Figures Edward would be the kind of guy who could pull something like that off. If I didn't love you so much, I'd totally hate you right now," she declared as I turned off the car.

"Did I mention his dick is huge?" I waggled my eyebrows at her, clearly trying to tease her.

But perhaps not clearly enough; she began to give me an unamused-face, but then she paused shrewdly. After a few seconds, she leaned closer, an intrigued look building in her eyes.

"Is it really?" She whispered her question, as if we were discussing Edward's dick in public, rather than in the privacy of my own car.

I smirked before shrugging. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Oh god, it totally is. He's hung like a horse, isn't he?"

"I'm not going to answer that. The size of Edward's dick is between him and me."

She narrowed her eyes at me before slowly nodding and leaning away. "It totally is. Damn it, now I really do hate you."

I was still laughing by the time I'd made it around to her side of the car and handed her the crutches from the backseat.

"So, how do you guys fit sex in? Because I know you haven't been over at his place since the weekend," Rose inquired as we slowly made our way up the steps to the front door.

"Well, it's a little tricky. He's been really busy at work this week, with a bunch of meetings and stuff, so he hasn't been around for...'_lunch_'..." I made quotation marks with my fingers, "for a while now. And yeah, I can't really go over there during the weekdays, because of Maddie. It's still too soon to have me be there all the time, you know? The two of them get to spend so little time together anyway, and those few hours between Edward picking her up after work and her bedtime is like... it's their time. It's important to them. I can't barge in on that just willy-nilly."

I reached out to open the front door, only to have it swing away from the frame before I had the chance. I smiled at the man who stepped out, thanking him when he moved to the side and held the door open for the two of us to pass through. He gave me a small nod in return before hurrying away, and Rose and I continued on to the elevator.

"'Willy-nilly'?" Rose mocked me.

"Shut up."

"Regardless of your questionable word-choices, I see your point. So, basically – quickies are out, as are sleepovers and stuff?"

"Yeah, pretty much. At least for now. I'm hoping that will start to change really soon. I miss seeing him naked."

"I would too."

I snorted and we rode up to our floor in silence.

We were almost at Rose's door when my phone started ringing; my face split into a grin when I saw the name on the screen for the second time that day.

"It's Edward; do you mind...?"

"No, no, go ahead. I'll see you later," Rose said, waving her hand at me. I smiled a goodbye before answering the call and walking back towards my own door.

"Hi," I said, still smiling like an idiot.

"_Hey, baby. How are you?_"

"I'm good; just got back from the hospital with Rose. She finally got her cast off."

"_Really? That's good; I know she was really starting to hate that thing_."

"Yeah, with a vengeance."

He laughed. Such a glorious sound.

"How about you? What are you up to?" I started digging my keys out of my purse as I spoke.

"_Maddie and I are doing some shopping. She needed a new coat and shoes, so here we are. Oh, hang on – no, sweetie, put that back, those are boy-clothes_."

I heard Maddie's muffled voice through the other end and laughed softly to myself. I wondered if Edward and I would ever get through a phone-conversation without the little girl interrupting it at least once. Not that I minded; hearing Edward speak to his daughter did things to me. I felt all warm and gooey, and my insides fluttered and my heart danced, and I blamed my ovaries.

"_Honey, I don't think you'd be very comfortable in that. Don't you want to wear clothes made for girls? You said you wanted a purple coat... yes, I know that's your favourite colour... Alice is making you a new dress? Well, that's nice of her, isn't it? Come on, honey, your clothes are over here..._ _no, Maddie, over here. Put that down... okay, see if you can find something you like..._"

I opened my front door while he was occupied with his daughter, immediately faced with trying to calm down my overexcited puppy. I laughed to myself about how two grown-ups couldn't hold a civil conversation on the phone without having to address five-year olds and yapping puppies in between talking to each other.

"_Bella?_"

"Yeah, I'm here," I told him while bending down to scratch Jake's head.

"_Hey, sorry about that._"

"No, don't worry about it; sounds like you're busy."

"_Nah, it's not too bad; Maddie just likes shopping too much. I blame Alice_."

I laughed and straightened up, watching Jake run around my feet on his fat, stubby little legs.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"

"_Well, Maddie and I had a little talk in the car earlier, and we were wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight?_"

Edward's grin was audible in his voice, and it only became more pronounced when a muffled shout from Maddie had him amending his words.

"_Oh, sorry – if you _and Jake_ wanted to come over for dinner. Can't forget the dog – we can't have him feeling left out, you understand_."

"No, of course not," I said with a chuckle, kicking off my shoes. "He'd shun me for life if I left him behind."

Edward's voice sounded hopeful.

"_So you'll come?_"

"Yeah, I'd love to. Thank you." I grinned and slowly walked towards the kitchen. "So what are we having?"

"_Well... it's Maddie's turn to pick dinner tonight, so whatever it is will be child-friendly. We're going to get groceries after this._"

"Oh, so maybe I'll finally get to taste this famous mac and cheese of yours that I've heard so much about?"

"_That's not outside the realm of possibilities_."

"That sounds most excellent."

"_Yes, indeed. So, if you come at like six or something? You don't need to bring anything- oh, hang on... you like that one? Okay, sweetie, I'll find one in your size... hey, Bella? I have to go; Maddie is literally _bouncing_ right now; that's how excited she is about trying on this coat, and I fear that she'll explode if I don't make that happen as soon as possible._"

"Well, we don't want that."

"_No, definitely not. So, we'll see you later, okay?_"

"Yeah, later. Thanks for inviting me, Edward. I've missed you this week."

His voice was gentle when he answered. "_I've missed you too, Bella. I'll see you tonight._ "

"Yeah, tonight. Bye."

"_Bye, baby._"

He ended the call and I threw a glance at the red numbers shining on the oven. I still had a few hours to kill before I had to start getting ready – I looked over at my computer and felt the familiar itch in my fingers and jabbering of my characters start up in my mind. Seemed like I was going to get some work done.

After fixing myself a cup of tea, I settled into the couch with my laptop and didn't resurface for several hours.

««~◊~»»

When Maddie saw Jake later that night, she was overjoyed. She barely stopped to say hello to me before descending on the puppy with as many hugs and kisses as she possibly could. Jake lapped it all up, of course; I never greeted him so enthusiastically, so this was probably a nice change of events for him.

Edward, on the other hand, barely gave Jake a cursory glance before wrapping his arms firmly around me. The warmth coming from him chased away the last of the chill from outside, which presented me with yet another reason to press myself obscenely close to him.

His chest smelled so nice.

Our hug was short, due to the innocent eyes and mind not three feet away from us, but the tenderness in his arms, the tightening of his hands, the lingering kiss he placed on my cheek – all were promises of more to come later on in the evening. I had a feeling that once Maddie was sound asleep, it would most definitely be grown-up time.

I smiled at the thought.

"Hey, baby," he murmured against my skin before slowly pulling away. The smile he then gave me made my stomach clench; he was just too gorgeous to handle.

"Hi." I smiled back and told my fingers to behave as they twitched with the longing to stroke his cheek. I would have, under normal circumstances, but the gesture felt too intimate to perform in front of Maddie.

I settled for continuing to smile.

After Edward, ever the gentleman, helped me off with my coat, we proceeded into the kitchen. Maddie and Jake took up their spot in the living room; while I could no longer see them, I could dimly make out Maddie telling the dog all about her day out shopping with Edward.

I walked closer to the stove, intent on investigating what was on the menu for the evening. I laughed when I looked into one of the pots and felt Edward's arms snake around my middle.

"Did she really pick mac and cheese, or did you suggest it to her?"

His chin came down to rest on my shoulder, and I tilted my head to press it against his.

"She picked it, I promise. My only contribution was demanding that broccoli be served as a side-dish."

My snort made him laugh, and his arms tightened around me. I leaned back into his chest, seeking both his warmth and the comfort of just feeling him there.

"Did you find a coat?" I asked after a minute of silently connecting.

"Yes; a coat, two pair of shoes, a skirt, a colouring-book and a pink, sparkling hairbrush," Edward listed, shaking his head a little in disbelief.

"Wow, she really does love shopping. She'll be a nightmare when she gets older."

"You're telling me. I'm already dreading the day she'll come home with her first bra or something."

I laughed in sympathy just as he pressed a quick kiss to the side of my neck; he stepped away from me and turned his attention to the pots on the stove, giving the sauce a stir.

I faced him when he came back to me, wrapping his arms around me once again. My own rose up to lay across his shoulders, and a gentle humming sensation shivered down my body, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

"First bra, first set of make-up, first bikini..." I shook my head, teasing him. "I doubt you'll ever get to actually see those items though. I remember the first time I brought a bra – I hid it inside another bag, which I then put in a bigger bag, and when I came home I literally ran up the stairs so Charlie wouldn't see me. And I _never_ run up stairs."

Edward grinned. "Oh really? And how old were you when you brought your first bra?"

I assumed the hand now going up and down my back right over the clasp of my bra was for emphasis only.

"Twelve, I think."

He made a humming noise, letting his hand roam further down. Dangerous territory to be exploring with a child so close by.

Not that I was going to stop him.

"And who was the first boy to ever see you in a bra?"

"Topless?"

He smirked, bending down to kiss the small sliver of exposed skin on my shoulder. "Yes," he mumbled softly.

"Well, that would probably be... Jared. Our dads worked together on the police force, and they had this big barbeque for all the families and stuff. Jared and I stole two beers and snuck away to make out in his sister's old tree house."

Edward laughed. "And how old were you?"

"Just a few months shy of sixteen."

"And did Jared get to see more than your bra?"

"Not in the tree house."

His smirk widened, but before he could speak, Maddie ran into the kitchen.

He didn't fully let go of me, but we both took a half-step back to create some space between us. Maddie didn't seem to take note of our closeness, which was somewhat of a relief.

"Daddy, when's dinner ready?"

"It'll be ready soon, sweetie."

"I'm really hungry. Can I have a cookie?"

Edward shook his head, making Maddie frown with disappointment before he had even spoken.

"No cookies before dinner. I promise it will be ready soon, okay, honey? You won't have to wait much longer."

"But I'm hungry _now_," she whined dramatically, pouting up at her father. Jake waddled curiously into the kitchen, his overactive nose gliding along the floor as his tail wagged excitedly.

"I know you are, honey, but I said no, okay? No cookies before dinner. Do you want a drink? A juice box?"

Her shoulders slumped, but she nodded an assent anyway. Edward chuckled under his breath and slipped his arm away from me. He gently ruffled his daughters hair as he walked past her to the fridge.

"Are you having fun with Jake?" I asked her, in an attempt to cheer her up a little.

It worked; her face lit up and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! He really likes me."

I pressed my lips together to not laugh. "I know, he's always so happy when he gets to play with you."

"I told everyone in class about him, and they were so jealous."

_Oh wow, okay_.

"Did you? And what did you say about him?"

"I said that he likes to eat stuff off the floor, and he likes it when you scratch his tummy."

Edward came back and silently deposited the juice box, straw sticking out of the top, into his daughters hands. He turned to the stove to tend to the food while she and I talked.

"He is very easy to please," I said while Maddie took a sip of her drink.

She only nodded in acknowledgement of my words before continuing on with her own story. "And then Mrs. Stanley thought he was mine." She laughed as if that were some great joke. God, she was so adorable. "So I told her Jake was daddy's girlfriend's dog."

Edward and I both stiffened a little as the title; it wasn't something we had discussed ourselves yet, but the fact that Maddie obviously thought of me as his... girlfriend... suggested that maybe it was time for us to sort that out. Officially. Make it real. Or something.

I glanced over at Edward, catching his eye as he watched me. His smile seemed slightly shy, which made me feel relieved. At least he didn't look scared out of his mind at the idea of calling me his girlfriend.

"Maddie, why don't you and Jake go and play in the living room. You can help me set the table in a bit, okay?" Edward said to her; she only shrugged and wandered off, slurping at her drink. Jake raised his head as she walked past, and without a second of hesitation he turned and followed her, his little bottom waddling around the corner.

In a few years, he'd probably guard that girl with his life.

_Uh, getting a little ahead of ourselves there, aren't we, Swan? How are you so sure you'll still be in her and Edward's life in a few years?_

A nervous fluttering in my stomach confirmed that the thought had been quite unconscious on my part. I didn't really know what to think of it. The idea of still being with Edward in a few years time didn't make me recoil in horror or anything – quite the opposite. I supposed that could definitely indicate that the tickle of a new emotion I had been feeling these past few weeks, an emotion that I wasn't altogether ready to look too closely at just yet, might've been a bit deeper than I had thought.

My heart squeezed in my chest; for what reason I didn't know, but I would have guessed from a cocktail of nerves, giddiness and self-conscious doubt. It was scary, contemplating going down the road that tickling emotion was pointing towards, without knowing if Edward would ever be joining me. I glanced over at him once again, and he was watching me just the same.

Words were bubbling out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop and inspect them for signs of insanity.

"So... your daughter seems to think you have a girlfriend."

_Oh god, why did you just say that?_

Edward's lips twitched, teasing at a smile.

"So she does."

I held his eyes for a few more seconds before the collar of his t-shirt suddenly became the most interesting thing in the world.

"Do _you_... think you have a girlfriend?"

My voice was so quiet. I was so scared. And excited. But mostly scared.

"Well... there's this one girl who I've been talking to quite a lot. For a while now." He stepped closer to me. The stitches in his shirt could hold my undivided attention forever. "She's very pretty. And I really like her."

My breath hitched and stumbled in my throat. If I had been less controlled, I probably would have emitted some kind of nervous squeak at his words.

"I haven't asked her to be my girlfriend yet or anything, but... if I _did_, and she said 'yes'..." Oh god, he was so close now. His chest was just barely touching my arm. I lifted my gaze as far as his jaw line. "Well, I'd be really happy about that."

I swallowed. Was he asking me to be his girlfriend?

"By the way," Edward then whispered, bending down to place his lips just over my ear, "this is me asking you to be my girlfriend."

A shiver cascaded down my spine, making my whole body tremble. I suddenly found it quite difficult to take an even breath.

He pulled away a little, and I finally had enough courage to look into his eyes again. He looked just as scared as I felt, although he hid it better than I probably did.

With a rising blush heating up my cheeks, I nodded fervently.

"I wanna be your girlfriend."

_Ah, good job there, Swan; you have successfully regressed into a 13 year old girl. Well done_.

Edward's grin was full-fledged; lips parting to reveal white, almost-perfect teeth, cheeks bunching and eyes crinkling happily.

"Yeah?"

A sound somewhere between a giggle and a laugh left me and I nodded again.

"Yeah. Definitely."

"Okay then. You're my girlfriend."

Another one of those giggle-laugh sounds left me, like happy bubbles bursting from my body. Edward's arms came around me once again, and I titled my head up for the kiss he placed on my lips.

"You do know that this means you're promising not to show your bra to other guys, right?"

I laughed against his lips and reached up to push my fingers through his hair. Gripping the back of his head, I vowed, "From here on out, you're the only boy allowed to see my bra."

He grinned and kissed the corner of my mouth. "Good."

"And what about you? If the pleasure of ogling my boobs is now copyrighted by you, what do I get in return?"

"Hmm..." he breathed, trailing his lips across my cheek. I shivered slightly in his arms, closing my eyes with the bliss of it all. "I promise not to let any other girl beside you see me in my underwear. Good?"

I made an inarticulate noise, displaying how inadequate I felt his promise was.

"You want more?"

He nuzzled my ear, slipping his warm hands down my back and resting them just above the swell of my ass. Naturally, his actions left me without the essential skill of forming words, so I simply nodded dumbly.

"Okay then. I promise not to let another girl see _or touch_ me in my underwear. Better?"

"You're getting there," I murmured, tilting my head to the side to give him better access to my throat. He obliged and thoroughly kissed every inch of skin.

"I think we're going to have to work on setting up these ground-rules. Seems like we have a lot of stuff to cover."

"I think that sounds like a great idea."

His eyes found mine and smiled; the tickling emotion scurried a few laps around my heart, and I smiled back.

His fingers caressed my cheek, and after a final, soft kiss that lasted endless seconds that felt all too short, he pulled back.

"I need to get dinner in the oven; Maddie'll throw a fit if we don't feed her soon."

"Okay," I relented, pushing up on my toes to place a quick kiss to his chin before stepping away. "You finish dinner and I'll go hang out with Maddie. She's much cooler than you anyway."

He made a growly noise and swatted at my ass as I walked away from him. In a show of maturity, I stuck out my tongue as I hurried around the corner.

I slowed down as I entered the living room, where Maddie sat perched on the floor. A colouring book lay open in front of her on the coffee table, and Jake was sprawled at her feet.

She glanced up at me as I entered, but apart from a small smile, she didn't acknowledge me further.

I came to a stop a few feet from her; I didn't really know how to interact with the girl. She was so... calm, in a way. When Sue had started coming around mine and Charlie's house, I'd barely looked at her in my stubbornness to keep her away. It took me months before I came to accept that I actually kind of liked her. But Maddie wasn't like that at all. She didn't act like I had, so I had nothing to fall back on, no knowledge of what she might be feeling. I found myself at a bit of a loss, really.

I slowly sank down on the floor, sitting down on my knees next to the table. She spared me another glance before continuing on with her colouring. After a few seconds of floundering for something to say, I settled for explaining why I'd joined her.

"Your daddy's just finishing up dinner, but he was being pretty boring, so I thought I'd come hang out with you instead."

One little white lie never hurt anyone. Edward had been far from boring me, but she didn't need to know that.

She looked up at me and smiled at my words.

"I'm painting the Little Mermaid," she informed me, sitting back to display the open page of her colouring book. She was actually really good at staying within the lines, but had clearly taken some artistic freedom regarding Ariel's hair colour.

"She's my favourite," I told her as she reached for a new pencil – green this time.

Her eyes seemed a bit more enthusiastic when she looked up at me.

"Mine too."

"Oh yeah?"

She nodded and smiled shyly.

"And I heard that your favourite colour is purple. Is that right?"

She held the pencil poised over the paper as she looked at me, nodding once again. I leaned in closer and spoke in a hushed, conspirational tone.

"I really like purple too."

Her smile widened.

"And we both like dogs," I continued, "and mac and cheese."

She laughed, and it was such a precious sound. So happy and carefree. So innocent.

"I don't like peas," she offered, watching me expectedly for my reaction. I widened my eyes a little in a show of surprised delight.

"Neither do I! But my dad used to make me eat them anyway."

She nodded in agreement. "Daddy makes me eat at least five peas, because that's how old I am."

I pouted a little. "Do you think he'll make me eat twenty-eight peas then? Because that's how old I am. And it's my birthday next week, so that will be one _more_ pea."

She looked slightly horrified. "That's a lot of peas."

"I know," I said sadly, leaning my elbows on the table.

"But you're a grown-up; you can say no if you want to."

I nodded slowly. "That's true."

"Would you still say no even if I asked you nicely?" Edward's voice came from the left of us, an edge of amusement in his words. I turned to see him leaning casually against the wall, watching us with his arms crossed over his chest. A smile was pulling at his lips.

"Yes. I don't care how nicely you ask – I won't eat more peas than I absolutely have to."

Maddie's head volleyed back and forth between me and her dad; the way her eyes were shining brightly and enthusiastically made me feel bad about possibly planting a few seeds of pea-rebellion in her impressionable mind.

"Not even if I said 'please'?"

"Nope. Won't work."

He made a contemplative sound. "Well, that's too bad. You see, we have a rule in this house – if you don't eat your peas, you can't have ice cream."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Are you trying to threaten me, Mr. Cullen?"

Maddie giggled, turning her body so she could more easily watch us.

"I wouldn't call it 'threaten', exactly. More like... suggesting."

He grinned wickedly.

"Do I have to eat twenty-eight peas?"

Edward looked at Maddie.

"What do you think, sweetheart? Should we make Bella eat her own age in peas?"

I pouted sadly at the little girl, pleading while she giggled with delight at being included in the decision.

"She should eat ten," she decided.

_Well, that's better than 28, at least._

"Only ten? Why?"

"Because she's a guest," she said, as if that were the obvious reason.

"Oh, I see," he said slowly, pushing away from the wall. "Well, do you think you and our guest could set the table? Dinner will be ready in ten minutes."

I grinned and shook my head at him, rising from my place on the floor and following Maddie into the kitchen.

««~◊~»»

Edward's bathroom was nice. I liked his personal bathroom more, because it had the huge shower where he stood naked every morning, but the family bathroom was really very nice too.

It was also crammed full of Maddie. A little pink stepping stool stood under the sink; rubber ducks, a Barbie, three different bottles of bath bubbles and a bunch of toys lined the edges of the tub; a little, tiny, purple toothbrush sat in a little, tiny, pink cup adorned with Disney princesses on the sink; a quick look in the cabinet – because everyone looks – displayed brushes and hair bands and clips, child-friendly medicines, pink band aids, flavoured floss, kid's sunscreen, and everything else a child might possibly need.

I smiled and closed the cabinet, glancing into the mirror one last time. There wasn't one crevice of Edward's life where his love for Maddie didn't shine through. Not even his bathroom was safe.

I sighed and tried to silently step out of the bathroom. The apartment was quiet, almost all the lights were out. Down the hallway, warm light poured out of an open door. From inside, I could hear Edward's quiet murmurs, and it drew me in like a moth to the flame.

I slowly glanced around the doorjamb, careful not to make a sound. Edward lay propped against Maddie's headboard in the corner of the room, ankles crossed above her covers. With one arm around the tiny girl lying at his side, curled into him peacefully, he held a book open with his free hand. His voice was so soft that I knew Maddie had to be close to sleeping; he'd been reading to her for about twenty minutes at that point.

This was the first time I had ever witnessed their bedtime-tradition, and the sight was so precious that it took my breath away.

"...'Pooh always liked a little something at eleven o'clock in the morning, and he was very glad to see Rabbit getting out the plates and mugs; and when Rabbit said, "Honey or condensed milk with your bread?" he was so excited that he said, "Both," and then, so as not to seem greedy, he added, "But don't bother about the bread, please." And for a long time after that he said nothing… until at last, humming to himself in a rather sticky voice, he got up, shook Rabbit lovingly by the paw, and said that he must be going on'…"

I leaned against the door, watching the two of them. Maddie was definitely asleep at this point, breathing slowly and deeply. Edward's eyes cut up to me briefly, and a quick smile graced his lips. I waved a little, smiling back as his gaze dropped back down to the book in his hand.

He continued reading, his voice gradually growing quieter, until he trailed off with an experimental air.

"...' "N-no," said Pooh carelessly. "Just resting and thinking and humming to myself"'…"

He waited carefully to see if Maddie would respond; his body was completely still and he even held his breath as if the girl was some sort of bomb.

I counted to twenty seconds before a relieved smile broke out on his face, and he winked at me. Carefully, carefully he slid away from her, moving at the pace of a snail as he pushed himself off the bed. Once on his feet, he yet again paused and waited... waited... sighed with relief.

He softly tiptoed out of the room, switching off the light when he reached the door. A soft night-light provided the room with a gentle glow, and Maddie's sleeping form was just barely visible on the bed. He cast a last glance back at her before reaching for my hand. We moved silently as he closed the door and took me with him to the living room.

The TV was on mute, but its light flickered sporadically across the furniture, bouncing off the windows and picture frames on the walls. Three empty bowls sat on the coffee table, the ice cream they had held long gone by now, and Jake was sleeping soundly in the middle of the floor. Edward's fingers tightened around mine.

"You'll stay awhile?" he asked softly, and when I nodded, he leaned down and kissed me just as gently.

With the volume turned down low, we watched the news, cuddled up together on the couch. I felt so incredibly content; _this_ was all I wanted. Just a nice, calm evening with Edward. I didn't need fancy restaurants, or going to the movies, or theatre tickets or things that had been deemed necessary in relationships in my past – I just wanted this, and unlike the one before him, Edward knew this about me. I just wanted him, and everything that came with it.

I needed him.

My fingers found his stomach, softly stroking him through his shirt. My lips searched for his throat, travelling slowly across his skin. My eyes locked with his, making words unnecessary.

His hands were like fire, burning me through my clothes, sinking through my skin, flesh and bone to touch every nerve. I kissed him, and kissed him, and he kissed me back, and I moved and he tugged, I grasped and he squeezed. His breath was hot against my lips, his scruff rough under my hands. His sounds were mine, and I gave him back just as much as I got. Breathing became a minor concern, my heart kicked into overdrive and my entire body flooded with warmth and lust.

It was his hands on the bare skin over my ribs that knocked some sense into me. With a small gasp, I dragged my lips across his cheek and suggested a change of location into his ear. The TV was turned off immediately, and I found myself being pulled to my feet, unstable on my legs, but supported by him. He pulled me, guided me, allowed me to drag him too, away from the living room and into the more private area his bedroom provided.

We were quiet – or as quiet as we could manage – as we tore at each other's clothes, kissing, kissing, always kissing and touching, and gasping, and wanting. We fell onto the bed together, scrambling to get covers and pillows out of the way while always touching and kissing and groaning, and otherwise behaving like the desperate, sex-deprived people that we were.

His mouth – his lips – descended on my skin, travelling quickly down, down and settling where I needed him. His hair was twisted in my fingers as I pulled him closer, gasping his name and other unintelligent noises. He went at it with an enthusiastic determination, not stopping or coming up for air until I was coming, clenching around his fingers, back arched off the bed, trembling and swearing and losing my mind in the pleasure of it all.

With shaking arms and legs, my heart still thundering in my chest, I pushed him back and climbed onto his lap. I wasted no time at all before finding him, hard and hot and ready, for me, just for me. His groan sank through the skin of my throat, with his lips pressed to my neck as I took him inside of me.

Our breathing was harsh as we moved, fingers gripping tight on whatever body part we could reach; it wouldn't surprise me if I had marks on my ass cheeks the next morning. He took my breast in his mouth, and I moaned his name, clawing at his back. With a breathless whimper I turned his face to mine, kissing him as I moved faster and harder above him.

A desperate grunt was the only warning I got before Edward pressed me back onto the bed, grabbing my hips as he rose onto his knees; he held me up, all my weight resting on my upper back and my legs locking around his waist as he took over. The rhythmic sound of skin slapping together and the occasional creaking of the bed would leave no one in doubt as to what we were up to.

He was getting close; I could see it in his face, feel it in his movements, hear it in his breathing and groans. His eyes were on mine and I felt like I had never seen anything as glorious as that moment in time, with the look on Edward's face and him moving above me.

I moaned desperately, my body's whispered promises of yet another satisfied ending growing stronger, louder and more confident.

I gasped when he suddenly took hold of my legs, pulling them away from around his waist. With a fierce look, he threw them over his shoulders and then pressed his body down, his hands hitting the mattress on either side of me. A trembling moan rose from me, drawing out as his hips drove into me with renewed determination.

And then suddenly, I was there, exploding beneath him without any warning at all. I tried not to scream, but Edward's mouth came down on mine to silence me anyway, and I shook beneath him, whimpering and groaning. He gave me no respite – the pleasure just continued without stopping, just like he wouldn't stop. He was too close to stop.

My nails scratched and dragged across the skin of his ribs and back as I egged him on, urged him to find his finish, in me, to come in me, and he grunted and swore and promised he would, promised he would come _so hard_. And then his breaths left him in desperate moans, each one stronger than the last, and his hips had a mind of their own, and he took me _so hard_, and he kissed me _so hard_ and he fell into oblivion with my name tumbling over his lips.

He collapsed on top of me, sucking in air with uncontrolled huffs and pants and groans. I slipped my legs from his shoulders, replacing them with my arms as I hugged him close, feeling him burying his face in my neck.

The only sound in the room was that of our breathing. It was dark, and warm, and the bed was soft underneath me, and Edward was all perfect angles and hard muscles and amazing weight above me. I had never been more comfortable.

We didn't move for a while; our breathing gradually slowed, and our hearts gradually calmed down, but we didn't move. We didn't speak or pull away or devote our energy to anything besides enjoying the moment.

But eventually rearrangements were necessary, and we both hissed quietly as Edward slipped himself from me. His body slid against mine as he lowered himself to my side, pulling me towards him. With my forehead resting against his, I wiggled myself as closely to his warm chest as I could.

"Will you stay... a few more hours?" he murmured quietly, his fingertips drawing tiny circles on my shoulder blades.

"I'd stay the whole night if I could."

He nodded minutely. His hand, now flat against my spine, pressed me closer.

"Soon," he then promised, kissing me softly. "We'll get there soon."

"I really hope so," I whispered, scratching my nails through the shorter strands of hair at his neck.

"We will," he said, his voice stronger in its conviction, but no less loud – the post-coital bliss that had settled over the room would not allow for noises louder than the rustling of sheets or the slide of skin against skin. "Tonight went really well, you know? A few more nights like this, and Maddie will be used to having you here. And then you can stay."

I smiled. "Well then, you better invite me over for dinner more often."

"I'd invite you over for every day of the week if I thought that would get us there faster."

I laughed under my breath. "I don't think shortcuts would work in our case."

"I know. It sucks."

This time I laughed against his lips as I kissed him.

"I hope 'soon' arrives really, _really_ soon," I remarked before snuggling closer, my head resting against his shoulder. If I had to leave in a few hours, I'd make sure to thoroughly enjoy the time I had left in his arms.

"It will," he promised again before we both lapsed into silence, wrapped as tightly around each other as we could.

* * *

And there you have it. Hope you all enjoyed it, at least on some level or another.

And since it's Halloween this weekend, might I suggest checking out the Enchantments Contest? Full of fairytales and dragons and cupids and magic and all sorts of mythical creatures, the one-shots are quite appropriate for this time of year. I've enjoyed reading a lot of them. If you then feel like it, voting is open until tomorrow, 29th October. Go here to read them if you haven't already: **http:/ /www. fanfiction. net /u/2504895/ Enchantments_Contest** (and yes, one of them is mine – once the contest is over, I will be posting it on this account.)

Anyway, that's enough babbling out of me. Have a good – and scary – weekend, everyone!

/Vic


	13. Surprise! but not really

It didn't take me two months to update! Granted, 1 1/5 months isn't that much better, but it's a small improvement, right?

Right?

I can hear the crickets now.

As always, my apologies, dear readers.

Bouncy 72, magnessina and OLVamptramp are amazing, and I love them to pieces.

**Disclaimer**: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight; what's left is mine. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Surprise!... but not really**

EPOV

I wasn't having the best week ever.

It started off with Maddie having a nightmare. The terrified screams of '_daddy_!' that tore me from sleep at 3 am on Monday night just set a bad example for the rest of the week. She had been completely inconsolable; I had run into her room to find her crying hysterically and to my complete confusion, it had only gotten worse when she saw me. I had rushed to her bed, frantically trying to figure out what was wrong, only to have her practically body-slam me. Her arms wrapped around my neck so tightly I almost couldn't breathe.

It took ten minutes before her sobbing had been reduced to jerky hiccups, and I finally found out that she'd dreamt our apartment had caught on fire with me inside. She thought I had died, leaving her all alone. Needless to say, she spent the rest of the night in my bed with me, but her restless sleep kept me up until my alarm went off. I went through my day on autopilot, constantly forgetting where I'd put my phone and guzzling coffee at a rate which alarmed my secretary.

I had a quick phone call with Bella after I put Maddie to sleep that night, but I could barely keep my eyes open. We'd said our goodbye's after only ten minutes, and I'd gratefully crawled into bed. I couldn't fall asleep fast enough, it seemed.

That is, until a small creature sniffled beside my head, patting my arm insistently to wake me up. After only two hours, Maddie had given up on sleeping alone, and with a tiny voice and the expression I could never say no to on her face, she had asked if she could sleep in my bed. With a groan, I had agreed and she immediately crawled over my prone body, kneeing me in the gut in the process. She quickly fell asleep, but I wasn't so lucky, on account of her being a sleep-kicker and all.

Work was piling up too, with important clients being brought in and meetings being moved around constantly. I had been forced to schedule a business trip the following week, which I wasn't looking forward to. The exhaustion I felt wasn't really helping me sort things out. At all. It was only Wednesday now, but I felt like the week had been dragging on forever.

So it was with a small sense of relief that I pulled up outside my parents' place after work, in order to pick up Maddie. I had cheated and brought pizza for dinner, but cooking food was an activity way beyond both my comprehension and energy level right now.

My feet were dragging as I made my way up to their front door, and I was yawning loudly as I walked through it.

"Mom?" I called out as I closed the door behind me.

"The living room, sweetie!"

I smiled when I turned the corner and saw Maddie and mom at the table, playing a board game. She smiled when I walked up to them, but a tinge of motherly concern clouded her eyes as she took in my no doubt haggard appearance. I shook my head with a silent 'don't worry'-expression as I dropped a kiss to my daughter's head and sighed.

"Are you winning?" I whispered in her ear, to which she giggled and nodded.

"Good," I said, straightening up with a slight grimace. Wasn't twenty-nine a bit too young to be having back problems?

"You all right, Edward?" Mom's voice was pitched with worry and she frowned. "You look tired."

I gave her a tight-lipped smile and squeezed Maddie's shoulders gently. "Sweetheart? I need to talk to grandma about something, but if you run and get your stuff, we'll go home soon, okay? I bought pizza for dinner."

She gasped with surprised delight and jumped off her chair. "Okay!"

I watched her run off before slowly collapsing into her vacated seat with a heavy groan.

"Long week," I told my mom as an explanation after her eyebrows rose in a silent demand for information. "Maddie had a nightmare about me dying, and she's finding it hard to sleep alone. She's been keeping me awake. And work is just..."

I made a groany noise, too tired to come up with actual words to describe it.

"You should try to have her sleep in her own bed, sweetie. I know it's hard, but if she gets used to sleeping next to you..."

She trailed off as she reached over the table to give my hand a gentle pat.

"I know," I agreed. "I'm hoping she'll be okay tonight."

"Me too. You need some sleep. I say this with all the motherly love within me, but you look terrible."

I laughed in surprise and nodded my head. "Yeah, won't argue with you there."

She only smiled teasingly as she rose her from seat, beginning to put away their game.

"Was there something else you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah," I said on a heavy exhale. "I have to go to Chicago next week. I'll be gone overnight, but I won't be home until late the next day, so I was wondering if you and dad could look after Maddie?"

"Of course, sweetie. When are you leaving?"

"Thursday."

"Okay. I'll give Tanya a call and let her know she won't need to take Maddie for the afternoon. How late is 'late' on Friday?"

"Like way after her bedtime."

"She'll stay two nights then, and you can pick her on up Saturday."

I smiled, and my shoulders relaxed a little bit with that one important thing ticked off my mental check-list. "Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome, honey. Your dad will be thrilled to get to spend some time with Maddie."

"_Daddy, I'm ready_!"

We both looked towards the front door, where the excited voice originated from. Clearly, pizza was a strong incentive for my daughter to gather her things at the speed of light.

"Okay, I'll be right there," I called back, rising slowly from the chair. Mom came around the table and squeezed my arm.

"If you need help with anything this week, anything at all, just let me know, okay? I don't want you getting sick because you haven't been sleeping enough."

I rolled my eyes at her overt worrying, but thanked her nonetheless. "Actually, there is one thing..."

"What is it?" she asked as we started walking towards the door together.

"Well, it's Bella's birthday on Saturday, and I want to do something for her. Nothing big, just like a... small surprise party or something. She was saying last week how she hasn't talked to Jasper in ages, so I thought she might like to have a little get-together, with like food and stuff."

Mom smiled and we stopped in front of an impatient Maddie, who had a hand on the door handle already.

"That sounds like a great idea, honey."

"Thanks. So, I know this is a little short-notice, but do you think that maybe you could bake-..."

"A cake," she interrupted me with no hint of surprise.

"Yeah," I grinned a little sheepishly. "I was thinking we could have the thing at my place, so you could finally get to meet her too. You're the only one in the family who I haven't introduced her to yet."

"Oh, dad and I are invited?"

"Of course. You think I'd just ask you to bake a cake for my girlfriend and then not invite you? Jazz, Alice and Emmett will be there too."

"Daddy..." Maddie whined quietly, sounding bored and impatient.

"Just a second, sweetheart."

"Girlfriend?" Mom's voice was quiet, but a small smile twitched on her lips.

I tried not to roll my eyes as I nodded.

Her smile widened, and she looked so happy for me that I felt my ears getting a little hot. I might have been alone for the past five years, but did that really mean everyone had to be so completely overjoyed by this? It was like they had feared I'd spend eternity all alone, which wasn't exactly encouraging.

"Well then," she said, "what kind of cake does your _girlfriend_ want?"

The eye roll was impossible to contain this time. "She likes caramel and chocolate, but coconut is out of the question," I said as I stepped forward to give her a kiss on the cheek.

Immediately I could see her brain going through her mental recipe book, and I grinned at her. "Thanks mom."

"You're welcome, sweetie. Let me know when you want me and dad to be there."

"Bye, grandma," Maddie interrupted me with, waving quickly before disappearing out the door. I laughed as I watched her take off.

"Well, that looks like my cue to leave. See you later, mom."

"Take care, honey. I hope you get some rest tonight."

"Me too," I sighed before I gave her a small smile and followed Maddie back to the car.

"Did you have a good day, sweetheart?" I asked her once we were driving home. I glanced at her quickly in the rear view mirror, just in time to see her nodding.

"Yeah. Ms. Stanley said I made a nice drawing."

"Did she? Ms. Stanley obviously has good taste."

She laughed and looked out the window. "But there was a man with a dog, and she wouldn't let me say hi to it."

My eyes snapped back to her in the mirror. "What dog?"

She shrugged. "He was standing outside, and Ms. Stanley says we're not allowed to go outside the fence alone."

I frowned, feeling eternally grateful to her teacher, Jessica. "She's right about that. You don't talk to strangers alone, honey, you know that. Not even if they have a dog."

"I talked to Bella," she said, and I sighed. I should have known she would pick up on that.

"Yes, but you were lost and she found you, didn't she? You were being a good girl and hiding from strangers, so Bella didn't look for you on purpose."

"I guess," she admitted, and turned to look out the window again.

After a moment of silence, I tried to engage her in another conversation.

"Did anything else happen? Did you learn something new?"

She seemed to think about it seriously, her little mouth twisting up to the side as she frowned. Eventually she shook her head. "No."

"Nothing? Nothing new?"

"No."

"Okay then," I said, stopping at a traffic light. Clearly conversation wasn't something she was interested in right now.

"Adam kissed me today. It was gross."

I decided it was a very good thing the car was already standing still, or I would have hit the breaks out of pure shock in the middle of traffic.

"I'm sorry?" I stared at her in the rear view mirror.

"Adam. He ran up to me during recess and kissed me. I didn't like it. He smells."

"Kissed you? As in... on the mouth?"

She scrunched her face up and nodded. "It was gross."

She blinked at my stupefied expression, looking perfect in her young innocence. I suddenly wanted to find out who this Adam kid was so I could go to his house and teach the little shit a lesson for daring to kiss my babygirl.

"Why did he kiss you? Did he ask first?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. He just did it. He ran away after."

"And he didn't ask?" I needed a definite clarification on his point – an indignant anger was rising in me, and it worried me somewhat that I could feel this way towards a five year old boy.

"No," she said, completely calm and unfazed.

I took a deep breath and tried to not clench my hands around the steering-wheel. The reaction I was having right now really didn't bode well for what would happen once she started dating.

Luckily, she'd be in her thirties before that happened, and the most that would take place before she got married would be a chaste peck on the cheek, but still.

"Maddie, what he did was wrong. You don't kiss people who don't want you to kiss them."

A horn blared behind us, alerting me to the fact that the lights had changed. I hurried to put the car in gear and started driving again.

"Why not?" She sounded curious, and I gave her a quick glance.

"Because it's... it's not nice. Kissing is supposed to be nice."

"But you don't ask me before you give me a kiss."

_Oh god. She was going to question this relentlessly_.

"That's because our kisses are different. I give you daddy-kisses, because I love you and you're my daughter."

"What other kind of kisses are there?"

"Well... the kind of kiss Adam gave you is a... _grown-up_ kiss. You shouldn't be kissing boys like that until you're much older."

"Why?"

"Because it's... because."

"But why?"

"You'll know when you get older."

"Why?"

I sighed in exasperation. "Okay. Kissing is a grown-up thing because... because when you get older, you might start to like someone in a-... a different way than you like your friends. You might like them the way Alice likes Jasper. And if this person likes you back, kissing is... it's something you do to show that person you like them."

She seemed confused. "How do you know if they like you back?"

I stammered a little. How did I get into this conversation? Jesus christ.

"Well, I-... you-... it- it depends, honey."

"On what?"

Seeing as slamming my forehead repeatedly against the steering wheel wasn't an option at this point, I settled for quickly dragging a hand through my hair.

"It's complicated, Maddie. I know you don't like hearing this, but it really is something you'll learn about as you get older."

She pouted slightly in disappointment. Then, to _my_ disappointment, she came up with another question.

"Do you like Bella that way?"

"Yes," I answered on a sigh.

"How did you tell her?"

Wow, she _really_ wasn't going to let this go.

"I asked her out on a date."

"Oh. Why?"

"You know what a date is, Maddie – I've told you this before."

"I forgot."

Of course she did.

"I asked her out on a date because I wanted to get to know her better. You can't really like someone this way until you know them, and that's what dates are for. You talk about stuff and you either start to like them more, or you realise that you only want to be friends with them."

"Oh." She was quiet for a few seconds before shrugging. "Okay."

A blissful minute of silence followed, and I was relieved when we arrived back at our building without any further interrogations.

"Hey, Maddie?"

She hummed in answer.

"If Adam tries to kiss you again, I won't be mad at you if you hit him, okay? And then you tell Ms. Stanley what he did – she'll talk to him and let him know he's not supposed to kiss girls without asking first."

I parked the car and turned in my seat to see her wide-eyed expression.

"Hitting is bad," she said in a quiet voice, as if she couldn't believe I would suggest such a thing. I tried not to smile.

"Yes, hitting is bad when you don't have a _reason_. You don't hit people because you want to hurt them or make them sad. But if a boy kisses you when you don't want him to kiss you, hitting is _good_. Hitting is allowed. Hit away."

Her mouth fell open as she stared at me. I seemed to have shocked her quite a bit.

I chuckled to myself as I got out of the car and came around to her side.

"Come on, honey," I said as I opened her door and unbuckled her seat belt. "We don't want the pizza getting cold."

««◊◊»»

"_Rosalie Hale_."

"Hey, Rosalie – it's Edward."

I slowly sat myself down on the couch, holding the phone up to my ear. I had just put Maddie to bed, and now it was time for some other business to be dealt with.

"_Oh. Well, this is a surprise. What can I do for you?_"

"I'm call-... oh, wait – Bella isn't with you, is she?"

"_No..._" she answered slowly, a hint of suspicion colouring her voice. "_Why? _

"Well, I'm calling about her birthday on Saturday. I'm throwing her a small... surprise party, I guess you could call it, and I was wondering if you'd come."

She was quiet for a few seconds before softly laughing.

"_You do know Bella doesn't like surprises, right?_"

I shifted a little in my seat. I did know that.

"Yeah, I know. That's why this party is a _small_ surprise. And it's not so much a 'everyone-hides-in-the-dark-and-yells-_surprise_!'-surprise party, as it is a small, informal gathering of her friends to celebrate her birthday... which she won't know about until she arrives at said party."

"_That still sounds like a surprise party to me_."

"Well, I'm hoping Bella won't see it that way."

"_For your sake, so do I. But sure, I'll come. Sounds like fun. Where are you having it?_"

"Here, at my apartment. I'm taking her out for dinner first, and then I'll bring her back. I've talked to my sister, and she said she'd be happy to pick you up and drive you over, so you won't have to worry about getting directions or taking a cab or something."

"_Oh, that's nice of her. So, who else is coming?_"

I swallowed. This was the difficult part and I could only hope she wouldn't attempt to surgically remove my testicles through the phone.

"Well, my sister and her husband, Jasper, because Bella hasn't really had a chance to hang out with him in a while, so I thought that could be fun for her. And my mom's making a cake – she owns a bakery – so she and dad will be there. I thought it could be a good opportunity to introduce them, since my mother is the only family member Bella hasn't actually met yet. Then you, of course, and Maddie will be here too... and then me, and Bella... and-... uhm..."

Her voice became cold and hard as she honed in on the issue I was trying to avoid.

"_Will _he_ be there?_"

"If I say 'yes', will you change your mind about coming?"

She fumed down the phone, her angry exhale rumbling in my ear.

"Okay, okay, listen; I've talked to Emmett, and I... sort of, kinda... I, uh... I told him you'd be there."

_Lies, lies, lies_.

"He reacted the same way you're doing now, but it really didn't take long before he agreed he'd be there, _knowing_ you would be too."

_Lies, lies, lies, and oh, hey – more lies._

The other end of the line was silent for a long time. I was starting to worry she'd hung up on me when she spoke.

"_Really_?"

"Really." _No, sorry, all lies. I haven't even told him about the party yet_.

She seemed to contemplate this, so I hurried to try to reassure her some more.

"Look, you won't even have to look at him if you don't want to. My apartment's pretty big, so you can avoid each other if need be, and he promised he wouldn't be...well, you know... a dick... and ruin Bella's birthday. I know she'd love it if you were both there to celebrate her, which is why I'm asking you to just... put the issue between the two of you on the backburner. Just for one evening. For Bella's sake."

I was laying it on thick, and we both knew it, but I really couldn't care less. If it meant getting Rose at the party, it was worth the momentary embarrassment.

"_He really said he'd come? Even if I came too?_"

"Yeah." _Hopefully he'll say that when I call him after this_.

Her silence was worrying, but I waited as patiently as I possibly could for her to make a decision. Finally, when it felt like I was going to slowly collapse upon myself from the pressure, she spoke.

"_Fine. He's probably hoping I'll say 'no', and then he'll think he's won this round or something equally stupid, so yeah – I'll be there. He can't fool me, I see what he's doing._"

I blinked. _Okay then_.

"Alright, great. Uh, thanks, Rose. I'll have Alice give you a call about when to pick you up and stuff. Oh, and if Bella asks you to watch Jake for her, you can bring him along to the party – Maddie will keep him entertained."

"_I'll look forward to it._"

Her hard tone of voice, combined with a slight competitiveness, told me she wasn't really looking forward to the party as much as she was looking forward to beating Emmett at his own game.

I didn't have the heart – or the balls – to tell her the game was all in her head.

««◊◊»»

"_Hey, Edward, what's up?_"

"Hey Emmett, how are you?"

"_Can't complain. You?_"

"Yeah, I'm good. Listen, I'm calling because it's Bella's birthday on Saturday, and I'm throwing her a small 'surprise' party after I take her out for dinner. It'll be at my place, and mom and dad will be there, and Alice and Jasper, Maddie... I know Bella would love it if you were there too."

"_Saturday? Yeah, I can do Saturday. What time?_"

"Well, Alice will be here by six, to watch Maddie while Bella and I go out to dinner, and I think we'll be back around eight or something. Everyone will be arriving somewhere in between there."

"_Okay, that's fine. I'll bring my camera, take some pictures of the birthday girl._"

I smiled and rubbed the back of my neck.

"Thanks Em, that sounds great. Uhm... just one more thing..."

"_Yeah?_"

I took a deep breath and hoped like hell he wouldn't hang up on me.

"Uhm... Rosalie will be there too."

The sudden silence coming through the other end did not reassure me.

"_... and does she know you were going to ask me?_"

"Yeah," I lied, "I told her. She was a bit... hesitant... at first, but it didn't take long until she agreed. She said she could be civil if you were. You know, bury the hatchet for the evening, so Bella can have a nice birthday. She doesn't want to ruin the party by either not being there for Bella, or by arguing with you."

He thought it over, for a very long, very quiet minute.

"_She really said she was okay with it?_"

"Well, I'm not gonna lie," – more than I already have – "she did seem more amiable towards the idea of you not coming at all, but she also knows how much Bella would enjoy having you both there, so yeah... she said she was okay with it."

He snorted.

"_I bet she doesn't want me there. But you know what? Screw her – I'll show her who the better person is. I'll do more than be civil. I'll be _nice_. I'll be pleasant, I'll be fucking polite. I'll win this round_."

Jesus, these two were ridiculous.

"Okay, you do that. So, Saturday, around seven or something. See you then?"

"_Yeah, I'll see you then. And I'll show that prissy little... little-... person_," – he floundered, clearly not able to bring himself to call her something worse, despite their issues – "_who's the better man. She probably is a man, too, like a transvestite or something_."

I groaned and shook my head.

"Emmett... I think you should start practicing the whole 'nice, pleasant and polite'-thing immediately. You kind of suck at it right now."

"_Fine. See you Saturday, man_."

"Saturday. Bye, Em."

He hung up and I tossed the phone onto the couch beside me. Those two, in a room, together...

... what the hell was I thinking?

««◊◊»»

"So..." I said, pushing my empty plate away. Bella's eyes cut to mine with an inquisitive look, and she hummed around a sip of her wine. I placed my elbows on the table and leaned towards her.

"How does it feel to be one year closer to thirty?"

She narrowed her eyes dangerously at me. I failed at withholding a grin.

"Shut up," she suggested, putting her glass back down.

"That bad, huh?" I clicked my tongue in mock sympathy. "It can't be easy, growing old."

"You're an idiot. You're older than me."

"By three months, and my age only gives me a certain air of... _je ne sais pas_." I waved my fingers around in a lazy gesture, just to be extra obnoxious.

I was rewarded with a single eyebrow, slowly rising in unamused deadpanning.

"Really? You're breaking out the French?"

"_Oui_. _Le chat est sous la table_. _Puis-je payer avec le carte de crédit?_ _J'ai les cheveux rouges._"

"There is not a cat under the table."

"How do you know?"

She paused and looked questionably at me. "Is this some kind of master plan of yours to make me duck under the table? Because I have to tell you, I might be up for some weird stuff, sexually, but I draw the line at blowing you under the table at a fancy restaurant."

I could only stare, with my mouth hanging open like the idiot she'd professed me to be.

_Check. Mate_.

She smirked evilly and leaned back in her chair.

After a few more seconds of scrambling to get my mind back in working order, I sighed reluctantly.

"Fine. Well played, Bella. Well played. You win."

She fist-pumped in celebration.

"I deserve to win. It _is_ my birthday," she said in a smug voice.

"That is very true. And speaking of which..." I said with a smile, reaching into the pocket of my coat. My fingers closed around the box just as Bella's smug smile melted into a mixture between impatience, reluctance and exasperation. I also thought I saw signs of her repressing feelings of surprised pleasure, but that may have been wishful thinking on my part.

"You didn't get me a present, did you?" she said, even as I carefully placed it in the centre of the table. She groaned softly under her breath as she looked down at it.

I had been agonising over what to get her for a long time – it had been a while since I'd bought a _real_ present for someone who was older than five. Eventually I had dragged my sister with me to look for something, and after three hours at the mall, rejecting every single thing I saw, I think she was about one '_no... that's not something Bella would like_' away from violently strangling me with my own tie.

So really, it was no wonder that she smacked me upside the head when I asked her if it was too soon in our relationship to buy Bella jewellery. Her exact words were '_Buy the fucking bracelet you've been staring at for the last ten minutes, because it's perfect and she'll love it, or I'll make sure horrible, horrible things happen to you in the near future_.'

I bought the bracelet.

"Edward..."

"What?" I said, pushing the little box closer to her. "I can't buy my girlfriend a birthday present?"

She sighed in exasperation, and with a level glare at me, reached out and plucked it from the table. "Cheater. You can't play the girlfriend-card on me on my birthday."

"Sure I can. When else am I going to play it?"

She made a face, and I laughed at her expression.

"Come on, baby, it's a present – you're supposed to accept it gracefully."

"I know," she muttered, looking down at the box in her hands. She fiddled with the ribbon and sighed quietly. "Thank you. I still think it's slightly unnecessary, but... thank you."

She glanced up through her lashes and then rolled her eyes at my smug grin.

"Jesus, Edward, I just accepted your gift with minimal reluctance; you don't have to look like you just saved my life or something."

I rearranged my features into a calm and patient look. "Sorry. Are you going to open it?"

She looked around us, as if trying to make sure no one would notice the gift in her hands; she looked shy as she lowered it slightly into her lap, to further hide it from view.

She opened the box slowly, and a tiny little intake of breath was my reward as she looked down at the bracelet. Then a smile spread on her face, and she raised her head again. She was so beautiful when she smiled that my chest felt a little tight just looking at her.

"Edward, I love it. Thank you," she said as she fished it out of the box with a clinking sound. She held it in the palm of her hand, fingering the silver charm. It wasn't anything extravagant, because I knew she wouldn't like something like that. A thin, simple silver chain held a tiny quill pen and ink pot charm. I figured it would be fitting for her, being an author and everything.

"Yeah?" I asked, leaning forward to gently lift it from her grasp. I somewhat clumsily opened the lock and held it out for her.

Her smile grew wider as she straightened her arm, and I made sure to graze her skin thoroughly as I clasped it around her wrist. A small wave of goosebumps travelled up her arm, and she blushed when I laughed.

My consequent smirk was met with rolled eyes from her.

She took her arm back and lightly shook her wrist, watching the silver charm swinging and glinting in the soft light.

"You really like it?" I asked in a hushed tone. I may or may not have been a bit nervous about what she would think.

"I do; it's perfect, Edward, thank you." Her eyes met mine, and with a smile she rose slightly out of her seat, leaning over the table. She crooked her finger at me, indicating that I should do the same.

"Thank you," she whispered again, before pressing a quick and tender kiss to my lips. The soft and welcome assault on my sense that came with her nearness was intoxicating – the way she smelled, the faint taste of wine on her lips, the softness of her skin... I was suddenly regretting the decision to have a surprise party at my apartment. It would have been much better to keep that place empty. So we could have sex.

_Birthday sex_, which is basically the best type of sex.

Damn it.

But given that I had organised the now cockblocking surprise-but-not-actually-a-surprise-party, it would probably be a good idea to get her there at this point.

We slowly returned to our seated positions, smiling gently at each other. She broke away first, to looked down at her bracelet. Her smile grew.

"So... good present?"

She laughed under her breath. "Yes. As much as I don't like feeding your ego, it was a great present."

I let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, and she rolled her eyes at me. Again. I was starting to wonder if she was going for some sort of personal record.

"And... if I told you I might have another present for you-..."

Her soft little smile immediately turned into a impatient glare.

"...-back at my place," I hurried to finish, "would you kill me?"

She glared at me some more.

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"I don't know, is it?"

"Edward..."

"What if it's a present of the naked kind?"

_Well, that's a complete and utter lie, you douchebag_, my dick muttered angrily.

Her glare was slowly, slowly replaced by a look of intrigue.

"How naked, exactly?"

"Well, you won't find out until we get there, will you?" I smirked with faked confidence, and raised my arm for the check.

««◊◊»»

With Bella's hand firmly grasped in mine – under the pretence of being an attentive boyfriend, but it was really just to make sure she couldn't escape – I put the key in the door and turned it.

I looked down at Bella, who now smiled up at me sexily, making me yet again regret the decision to have the damn party here. With a deep breath, and a wistful sigh, I grasped her hand more firmly and pressed down on the handle.

"Bella?" She raised her eyebrows in question. "Surprise."

I then let the door swing open to reveal my apartment, filled with people. Bella gasped behind me as they all said – I had expressly told them not to shout – "Surprise!" in unison.

I pulled her with me inside, ushering her into the room. I closed the door and leaned against it, ensuring she had no place to run.

"Happy birthday!" Alice squealed – something else I had definitely told her not to do, but she was clearly ignoring me – as Bella stood there, dumbstruck.

"Wha-...?"

I stepped forward and gently grasped her by the elbows, mostly to ensure that she couldn't aim one of them at my gut.

"I lied," I whispered into her ear. "Your second present isn't really of the naked kind."

A shocked little chuckle left her and she nodded, looking around at all the smiling faces. "I see that."

"Because that would be really creepy, since my parents are here and all."

Her elbow twitched rather violently in my hands, so I attempted to distract her. "Speaking of which," I continued, then raising my voice, "Bella, I'd like you to meet my mom, Esme."

Mom hurried forward with an eager expression on her face. I released Bella just as she reached for her hands.

"Oh, Bella, it's so nice to finally meet you. I've been feeling left out, seeing as everyone else has already had the pleasure."

"Oh, I-... it's nice to meet you too, Mrs.-"

"Don't even try it," mom warned her. "Please, call me Esme."

Bella laughed and self-consciously pushed some hair behind her ear. "Okay, yeah. Hi, Esme."

"Happy birthday," mom said, giving her a gentle pat on the arm.

Everyone else stepped forward to give her a hug and congratulate her. I noticed that Rosalie and Em were standing as far away from each other as they possibly could. Or well, Rose was seated with her crutches resting next to her, but Em kept himself skirting the wall leading into the kitchen.

It seemed that they had been able to resist the urge to murder each other, which was good news.

I subtly raised an eyebrow at him with a tiny inclination of my head to his nemesis. He only nodded gruffly in response to my unvoiced question; so far so good.

I was distracted from the miniature Cold War going on in my living room by a small tugging on my fingers. I looked down to find Maddie beside me, and I smiled.

"Hi, sweetheart," I said, reaching down and lifting her into my arms. She settled herself on my hip with a small yawn.

"Hi, daddy."

"Are you tired?" I asked, shifting her slightly. I had promised her she could stay up a little later tonight, since she didn't want to miss the party, but I could see in her face that she wouldn't be lasting long at all.

Still, she shook her head determinedly, and her unsubtle gaze flickered quickly over to the cake; the kitchen table had been brought into the livingroom to act as a snack bar, and the cake stood as a proud centrepiece. Clearly she'd had her eyes set on mom's contribution all evening.

"Really? You look tired to me, honey."

"I'm not," she insisted, bringing her attention back to me. I sensed that she would lie through her teeth if it meant she got cake in the end.

I hummed, unconvinced, and slowly walked over to the couch with her. I gave Rose a small smile as I sat down, which she returned warmly.

"You're not? Well, I think we'll see about that, Maddie."

She just shrugged at me and turned to look at Rose.

"What are those?" she asked, pointing at the crutches resting between she and I.

"They're called crutches. They help me walk, because I hurt my leg," Rose said, her voice warm and patient.

"Oh. What happened to your legs?"

Rose hesitated before answering, throwing me a quick look.

"She was in an accident, honey," I said vaguely. "Her leg was broken, but it's getting better now."

Maddie nodded in understanding. "Kim's dog was in an accident too. She ran under a bus, and they had to put her down."

Rose's mouth dropped open a little bit as she stared at Maddie.

"I don't know where they put her, though," she continued in a thoughtful tone.

"Okay, honey," I interrupted with an act of cheerfulness so believable I should have won an Oscar for it. "How about you go play with Uncle Em for a while, okay?"

I was touched by her half-hearted attempt at verbally agreeing before she was scrambling off my lap; an excited "Okay!" left her when she was already running across the floor.

"She's an enthusiastic little thing, isn't she?" Rose observed.

I chuckled on a sigh. "Yeah, you could say that."

We were both silent as we watched Maddie practically climb up her uncle; he laughed as he grabbed her and effortlessly moved her around like a football. He tucked her under his arm and continued talking to dad and Alice as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

I glanced at Rose as covertly as I could. The small smile tugging at her lips surprised me; I would have thought she would be glaring daggers at my brother – the child in his arms notwithstanding – but it was quite the opposite. I wondered if she was even aware that her expression looked downright friendly.

Then, her smile abruptly hardened into an angry line, her nostrils flaring. She looked away from Emmett and Maddie, who was now flailing happily with her arms and legs, and started picking at her nails.

"So..." I squeezed out after a few seconds of increasingly uncomfortable silence. Rosalie turned her head to look at me. "Uh... how has the party been so far?"

Rose blinked a few times, seemingly surprised by my lame topic of conversation.

"Well, it hasn't really started until now... since Bella just walked in the door five minutes ago."

I smiled awkwardly. "Right."

"But Alice and I talked for a bit, so that was nice."

"Alice does enjoy her talking."

"Yes, I noticed," Rose said with a small smile. She flinched slightly in surprise when Emmett soundly roared with laughter across the room. She stopped herself before she could turn fully to look at him, instead shaking her head to herself.

She caught me watching her, causing a hard glint to take over her eyes. She warned me silently not to mention or ask her anything about what had happened between them.

I was wise enough to concede to her wishes.

Rose's eyes flickered over to Bella where she stood, talking to mom and Jasper. Clearly grasping desperately at anything that would ensure an avoidance of Emmett, she asked me how our dinner had been.

With an internal sigh I followed her lead. Not knowing what the deal was between her and my brother was getting increasingly annoying. If we couldn't get one of them to squeal in the near future, we'd probably all combust with frustrated curiosity.

When Maddie was close to falling asleep in her uncle's arms a little while later, mom gathered us all up for some cake.

I helped Rose off the couch and walked with her across the room. Bella smiled at me as I came to stand beside her; she leaned into the kiss I placed on her cheek, humming softly under her breath.

"Are you having a nice time?"

She nodded. "I am. I don't really like surprises, but this is nice. Thank you." She angled her face up, silently asking for a proper kiss, which I obliged. She was the birthday girl, after all – whatever she wanted was hers.

"Hey Edward, come take your darling spawn off my hands, would ya?" Emmett said after I'd straightened up again. I threw him an unamused look, walking over to take Maddie from his arms.

She looked a little more alert now that she knew cake was imminent, but I could see her desperately fighting off her sleepiness. She never would have let me hold her if she wasn't tired.

"You okay, honey?" I mumbled quietly to her, hoisting her higher up my side as I walked back over to where Bella stood. She nodded absentmindedly, keeping her eyes firmly on mom who was now lighting candles on the cake.

Emmett hit the lights, casting us all in the mute flickers of the tiny flames.

Bella looked mortified, but helplessly amused, as we all started singing 'Happy Birthday', and when she managed to blow out all the candles in one try, our loud cheers caused her to bury her face in her hands and laugh.

I wanted to make her laugh like that every day, if only so I could watch her look so happy and beautiful.

"Esme, this is such a beautiful cake, I can't believe you made it," Bella said when our behaviour stopped embarrassing her. Mom smiled as she bent over the thing, cutting into it with a practiced hand.

"Thank you, Bella; it was my pleasure," she said, before carefully sliding a piece onto a plate. She handed it to the birthday girl and waited with an expectant look.

Bella looked a little confused for a second before she realised mom was waiting for her to taste it. She glanced around at all of us as she grabbed a fork; she self-consciously concentrated very hard on the plate in her hand, pressing the tines through the cake. I tried not to laugh out loud at her, but she glanced up at me and scowled at my amused expression.

"Shut up," she muttered to me before bringing the cake up to her mouth. I felt absolutely no shame as I watched her lips wrapping around the metal, her tongue coming out to sweep up a small crumb and smudge of chocolate frosting. Had we been alone, I would have offered to do it myself.

"Oh god..." she groaned, closing her eyes in what looked like utter bliss, and I was yet again thinking about the expression _I_ could have put on her face if all these people weren't in my apartment.

I was seriously starting to question my sanity about throwing this party.

More plates were passed around, grabbed by greedy hands as fast as mom could serve it, and Bella's reaction seemed to be a popular one.

I let Maddie have a taste from my own slice before she could have a plate of her own, which turned out to be a good decision. After all that lusting and craving, it turned out she wasn't at all fond of dark chocolate. I narrowly avoided having her spit a mouthful of half-chewed cake onto my shirt by holding a napkin up to her face just in time.

After that I was resolute in getting her into bed – she'd already stayed up an hour past her usual bedtime, and I knew that she'd be cranky tomorrow if she didn't fall asleep soon. I loved my daughter more than anything in the world, but she was the most annoying little thing when she was grumpy.

She protested vehemently, of course, claiming that she wasn't sleepy at all, and that she wanted to stay up. She started jumping up and down, tugging on my arm and just generally choosing not to listen to me at all.

Everyone tried to pretend they didn't notice, but it's pretty hard to ignore a five-year old when they're gearing up towards a temper tantrum. She looked like she was about three seconds away from crumbling to the floor to scream and cry her head off when my dad swooped in like a Superhero.

He deftly picked her up and bounced her gently in his arms, giving me a quick nod when he noticed my grateful smile.

"Hey, Maddie, guess what?" he said, giving her nose a quick tap. "Next week, when you have your sleepover, I'm going to be home _all day_. Grandma's going to be working, so it'll just be you and me."

Maddie sniffed and looked hesitantly at her grandfather. "Really?"

"Really," he said, nodding seriously. Mom rolled her eyes behind his back, but it still didn't hide the gentle smile she wore as she watched dad and Maddie together. "And I have a few surprises planned for what we're going to be doing, but you have to promise me you'll be a really good girl all week, or else the surprises won't be as good."

Her eyes went wide with worry. "Okay, I promise."

Dad's eyes cut quickly to mine with the barest hint of a wink. "So when daddy tells you it's bedtime, what do you do?"

She frowned and sighed, loud and resigned. "I go to bed," she mumbled quietly.

_My dad the miracle worker, ladies and gentlemen_.

"Good girl," he said back just as quietly, kissing her quickly on the forehead.

Maddie made the rounds, giving everyone hugs and kisses – Jake's hug lasted almost a full minute – before slowly coming up to me and Bella. While she had automatically reached her arms up for everyone else, she hesitated in front of Bella, glancing up at her shyly.

Bella bent down to her level and smiled. "Thanks for coming to my party, Maddie."

"You're welcome." She paused and seemed to deliberate something with herself for a second. "You can come to my party, when I turn six."

"I can?" Bella said, sounding pleased. "I'd like that, thank you."

Never mind that Maddie didn't turn six until May, or that we hadn't actually agreed that she would have a party – apparently she was already issuing invitations anyway.

After they shared a quick hug, I was finally allowed to carry her off to bed without protest.

She was asleep within five minutes of her head hitting the pillow.

««◊»»

Bella was standing out on the balcony with mom and Jasper. It was getting late, and the party was slowly winding down, but no one was in a real rush to leave.

I was mostly just pretending to be a part of the conversation dad and Emmett were having; I was more interested in watching Bella as she laughed and smiled. I don't know what they were talking about out there, but Jasper was waving his hands around while he apparently regaled them with something utterly hilarious. Mom wiped tears from her eyes, and Bella had to lean against the banister to keep herself upright.

I shouldn't have been feeling jealous of my brother-in-law. Definitely shouldn't. That would be a very bad, very shameful feeling to have. I had no reason to be jealous.

I was jealous.

"... and then I'm pretty sure I was abducted by aliens – I woke up with this tingling sensation in my anus, and for days after I swear I could see some weird glitter every time I wiped."

Emmett's words filtered through my brain slowly, and it took me a few seconds to digest what he'd just said.

My head snapped around, only to find him and dad watching me with raised eyebrows and knowing expressions.

"What the hell are you talking about, Emmett?"

"Oh, so you were listening? See, dad and I were starting to wonder if you were even paying attention to us anymore, or if you were too busy staring at your lady-friend like some weirdo stalker."

"Not the 'weirdo' bit from me," dad amended. He clapped me on the arm. "I think slightly higher of you than your brother."

"Wow, thanks," I said dryly. "And I wasn't... staring."

"Big load of crap."

"Emmett, just... shut up."

"Well, you're clearly not at all interested in participating in our conversation, which is of the highest level of intelligence, so just go already. You're so whipped, it's starting to get depressing."

"I'm starting to feel like you don't want me around anymore."

"You've always been so perceptive, man. Now fuck off, would you?"

I shoved him a little, but left without another word. It wasn't like I'd rather stay with them than go stare at Bella from a closer distance anyway.

Bella turned to me when I opened the sliding-glass-door, a pleased and happy glint sliding into the grin that was already on her face.

"Hey," she said when I walked up to her, reaching out to take my hand as if it were the most natural thing she could do. The bone-deep warmth that spread from her skin to mine when we touched had me squeezing her fingers gently, wanting to capture the sensation and hold it there between us. It always surprised me how different it felt to have _her_ skin touch mine. I'd never experienced it with anyone else, which was both exciting and just a little bit scary. I didn't really know what to do with it, how to define it. I supposed it was the unknown, more than anything, that made me a little nervous, but I wanted to explore it all the same.

"Hey," I said back, wondering if she felt it too. The way she squeezed my fingers in return, smiling into my eyes, had me pretending – at least for a little while – that she did.

"What are you guys talking about out here?" I asked, slowly dragging my eyes away from Bella.

"Jasper and Bella were just telling me a few stories about growing up together," mom replied, dabbing at the corner of her eye.

"Did you tell her about the time Jasper was hiding out in the girls' locker room after gym?"

I grinned wickedly at him when his head snapped around to me. He glared, clearly not amused. I should have felt ashamed for selling him out like that in front of his mother-in-law, but I just found it greatly amusing instead.

Mom only laughed though, and patted him on the arm. "No, they haven't told me that one. But maybe some other time, because I think I have to excuse myself – it's getting a bit chilly out here."

She smiled at all of us before heading inside, choosing to sit down on the couch with Rosalie and Alice instead.

"Dude, I can't believe you just said that," Jasper complained.

Bella only laughed. "I don't think you're ever going to live that one down, Jasper."

"Maybe I would if you guys would stop bringing it up all the time. I was twelve and had just noticed girls didn't actually have cooties – what do you want from me?"

"We just want the amusement of seeing you in an embarrassing and compromising situation."

"You better watch it, man," he said in a warning tone. "I have some pretty embarrassing stories about you that I can break out at random intervals in front of Charlie Swan."

I could feel some of the blood draining from my head. "You wouldn't dare."

I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Bella's father yet, and I would have preferred to not have Jasper give him a bad impression of me. I was dating his one and only daughter – if he was anything like me, I knew exactly how he would be viewing any man who thought himself worthy of that.

Hell, if one of Maddie's future boyfriends was anything like me, I'd probably hate him.

Jasper just grinned, shrugging. "I have some weapons of my own, Edward – don't forget that. At least I know Charlie likes me."

He then strutted off without another word, leaving me and Bella alone.

I turned to her, suddenly worried. "You think your dad won't like me?"

She pressed her lips together so she wouldn't laugh in my face. I appreciated the effort. "Of course he'll like you."

"But what if he doesn't?"

"Then he'll threaten you with his big, scary police-rifle and tell you to get the hell off his property."

"Oh, ha-ha, very funny."

"You think I'm kidding? Why do you think my prom date never spoke to me again?"

I waited for her to crack up, but when she didn't I became worried that she was actually being serious. So naturally, I voiced my concerns.

"Wait, you're-... you're actually being serious?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. Word got around in our small town, and I didn't have another date until college."

"Isn't that... I mean, isn't that sort of... illegal?"

Bella shrugged and turned to lean against the banister, looking out over the city. "I suppose. But what was he going to do – have the Chief of Police arrested by the Chief of Police?"

I leaned next to her, staring blankly, and with a no doubt slightly terrified expression on my face, into thin air.

"Damn. I'm going to have to be nicer to Jasper, aren't I?"

Bella's laugh burst from her in warm waves, and I turned my head to grin at her.

"Dad wouldn't dare give you a hard time. I'll kick his ass if he manages to scare you off," she joked. I just shook my head and moved slowly until I was standing behind her. With my arms brushing her sides, my hands resting next to hers on the banister, I leaned down and placed a single kiss to her shoulder.

A small shiver went through her, and I stepped closer, pressing myself against her back. I rested my head against the side of hers and breathed in her scent.

"I don't scare that easily."

She laughed under her breath and leaned back against me, softly sliding her hands to rest over mine. "Good," she murmured quietly as she entwined our fingers.

We stood there for a while, quietly watching the city below us. The distant sounds of cars faded into the background as I listened to her slow breaths, and it was surprisingly easy to forget about the people behind us, having conversations and coffee inside.

After a while, Bella shivered again, and the accompanying goosebumps told me she might be feeling the effects of the darkening September evening.

"Are you cold?" I asked as I moved to wrap my arms tightly around her.

She nodded. "A little. I don't want to go in yet, though."

I smiled into her hair and kissed her temple. "Me neither. Come here."

I stepped back and gently pulled her with me to the corner of the balcony; the small grouping of furniture that sat there was partially hidden from view by the curtains hanging inside, creating the illusion of privacy.

I dug a huge blanket out from the storage space under the couch, and wrapped it quickly around my back. I sat down on one of the chairs and held my arms open for Bella. She smiled shrewdly at me, raising a single eyebrow at the couch that I had _not_ chosen to sit on.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" she asked as she fitted herself in between my thigh and the armrest, swinging her legs up to lie across mine. She kicked off her heels as I folded the blanket and my arms tightly around her, holding her closely against my side.

"Yup."

She just laughed and curled her arms between us, resting her head on my shoulder.

"I have to admit – this is much nicer than the alternative," she said, sighing softly.

"I'm glad you think so. I'm inclined to agree."

She snorted quietly, and we lapsed into another moment of silence. Her mind then seemed to jump onto a completely random train of thought, since her next words were completely unrelated to anything else.

"So hey, what was your dad talking about before? Maddie's having a sleepover?"

I cringed slightly, an automatic reaction to having to think about taking a business trip.

"Yeah, I have to go to Chicago on Thursday, and I won't be back until late Friday night. Maddie's staying with them while I'm gone."

"Oh." Her response came softly after a few seconds, floating quietly into the night. She sounded sad, and I felt one of her hands idly picking at a button on my shirt.

"What?"

"No, I just..." She trailed off, shaking her head a little. "I just thought that if Maddie was having a sleepover, then... you know... no, just... Never mind."

"Oh. Oh." She thought we could have a sleepover too. I suddenly felt like an ass. "You really have no idea how much I wish that could happen."

She shrugged and nuzzled her face closer to my neck. "Don't worry about it. I guessed it was something like that. A business trip. I just wanted-... it's- I mean, I've... I've just missed you, you know?" Her voice came down to a whisper at the end, and I felt a tightening across my chest. I held her closer, pulling her towards me and kissing the top of her head.

"I miss you too, baby. And believe me, I would much rather spend two nights with you than go on a business trip all alone."

She hummed softly, but didn't say anything more. I started drawing slow circles on the skin of her arm, visions of spending two uninterrupted days with Bella – in a bed, if I had anything to do with it – swarming my mind to the exclusion of everything else.

Well, almost everything else.

The thought struck me out of the blue, and I felt a little stupid for not having thought of it before. The vision of Bella and I, alone in my bedroom, transformed into a vision of Bella and I, alone in a hotel room instead.

_I'm a genius_.

"Come with me."

I blurted it out quickly, just so I wouldn't be tempted to talk myself out of it. The fear of her saying no could definitely make me abandon even the most brilliant of plans.

Her head lifted from my shoulder so fast, I swore I could hear something crack a little in her neck.

"What?" She looked at me like I was insane. I wasn't so easily deterred though.

"Come with me," I repeated, an eager tone edging into my voice. I stared into her eyes, wide in shock, as I felt my own excitement build. "Please. Just think about it – we'll get a nice hotel, you can write while I go to my meeting, and I can show you around Chicago or something. And then just you and me, two whole days together."

That got a smile teasing at her lips. "Really? You can... I mean, that's allowed?"

"Yeah, of course. Come with me, Bella," I said, almost begging her now. "I can ask mom and dad to watch Jake for you – Maddie would love that, and Rose won't have to worry about how to take him out for walks and all that stuff. Come on... come with me." I grabbed her hand under the blanket, emphasising my plea by squeezing her fingers.

She stared at me for a few long seconds, perhaps waiting to see if I was only joking or something stupid like that. I would never joke about spending time with Bella. Especially not when I imagined spending it with her naked.

When I didn't retract my invitation, only continued to beg her with my eyes to accept, she practically melted into me.

"Okay," she whispered, a full-blown grin taking over her face. I felt my own lips widening to mirror hers.

"Okay? You'll come with me?"

"Yeah, I- I'd love to, of course I'll come with you."

She leaned in and kissed me, which was slightly awkward since we couldn't stop smiling, but it was still oddly perfect.

"I'll call the office tomorrow, make them change my flight. We can fly back on Saturday morning instead – I'm not picking Maddie up until that afternoon anyway."

"Okay," she said, kissing me again. A slightly high-pitched sound of joy left her. "Ah, I'm so excited now!"

I laughed. "Me too. And hey, do me a favour – don't pack too many clothes. I don't plan on you needing to wear anything at all for the majority of our time there anyway."

She threw her head back and laughed, which I took as an invitation to suck on her neck a little bit. She gasped as my lips met her skin, following it up with a soft groan.

"This is just a preview of how our evenings are going to be spent, by the way," I murmured against her, sliding my hand down her side and grasping her hip. She groaned again, a definite sound of approval.

"Sounds good... to me..." she gasped, wiggling an arm free of the blanket so she could slide her fingers into my hair. She anchored herself there and leaned back into my arms.

My lips found themselves kissing under her ear, taking the soft lobe between my teeth. A shudder went through her, and she shifted her legs. It was my turn to groan as her thigh slid over the growing bulge in my pants, which caused her to repeat the action. I wasn't going to stop her.

She used her grip on my hair to angle my face, bringing our lips together. Softness and heat pressed against my mouth, and I felt a desperate hunger start to shake inside me. Her lips parted under mine, her warm tongue immediately seeking out my own, simulating movements I'd love to repeat in locations further down our bodies.

"God, Bella..."

I brought a hand up to her face, framing her cheek and holding her to me. Our kisses grew restless, desperate for more, and our breathing was loud – too loud, inappropriately loud, given that my entire family was on the other side of the glass behind us. Not that I cared.

"Is it Thursday yet?" Bella panted, tugging on my hair to bring me closer. I could only groan as she pressed her thigh down on me again.

I was seriously contemplating if sticking my hand up her dress would be a viable next step, when a delicate throat-clearing sounded from the left.

Bella and I both froze, our eyes snapping open. Her lips were swollen and red, her eyes glassy and a little dazed. I knew I didn't look any better myself. I cut my gaze to the interruption, and found Rose fighting back a smirk.

"Sorry to, uh... interrupt, but everyone is going to head home, and Alice and Jasper offered to drive us back."

Bella swallowed and nodded without turning to look at her. "Okay. Give us a minute?"

"Sure. Take your time. But not that much time."

I felt myself blush as she gave me a meaningful look; she shook her head at me before turning back inside.

"Seriously – is it Thursday yet?"

I laughed as I looked back at Bella, bringing her face closer to mine for another kiss.

"I know _exactly_..." – I lifted my hips and ground myself against her – "... what you mean."

Her mouth popped open, allowing a small whimper to leave her.

"Not fair," she said breathlessly, kissing me again.

"Sorry," I mumbled against her lips, even though I was anything but.

She groaned, and with an obvious effort, she pulled herself away from me, scrambling to rise from the chair.

"You're pure evil," she said, bending down to pick up her discarded shoes. I smirked and rose to stand next to her.

"I'll make it up to you on Thursday."

* * *

_Oui_. _Le chat est sous la table_. _Puis-je payer avec le carte de crédit?_ _J'ai les cheveux rouges= Yes. The cat is under the table. Can I pay with a credit card? I have red hair._

Thanks for reading, guys, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you're looking for some nice stories to read as the holidays descend upon us, I'd like to direct you towards a lovely story called **For Whom The Bell Tolls**; it's a beautiful and lovely AU story where Edward owns a rather unique bookstore. When Bella comes in to peruse the shelves, it sets off a whole series of events that create this wonderful story. I promise, you do not want to miss out on this one.

Another good story that I've read recently is **Dear Mr Masen**; Bella works in IT, Edward is an accountant. She sends him an email regarding his internet usage on the company computers, and thus begins their back-and-forth conversations about bad dates, infomercial actresses and face-lickers. The whole story – which is only 3 chapters so far – is written in the emails they send to each other. Pay extra close attention to their increasingly hilarious signatures, should you decide to give this wonderful story a try.

You can find both of these in my favourites.

Again, thanks for reading, guys. Until next time.

xx

/Vic


	14. It's the small things

I really don't know why you guys put up with me and my updating-fail. You are all wonderful, wonderful creatures.

Undying gratitude to bouncy 72 and IcelandGirl812 for their invaluable input and beta'ing. I love you, guys.

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, etc etc**.

* * *

**Chapter 14: It's the small things**

BPOV

"Wow."

I stopped for a few seconds, staring around the hotel lounge.

Staying in hotels was such a novelty to me that I couldn't help but love it; I didn't have the opportunity to do it very often, so it always felt like something extra special.

And _this_ place was special.

It wasn't the fanciest hotel in the world, by all means, but it was much fancier and more luxurious than my apartment back in Seattle, that was for sure.

Edward wasn't prepared for my slightly-awestruck-moment; he stopped a few paces ahead, turning halfway to see what I was doing. He grinned when he took in my expression.

"You going to stand there for long? I thought you wanted to take a nap."

I made a face at him.

"Just enjoying the splendour," I said, falling into step beside him again as we walked over to the front desk.

"Splendour?" He looked amused at my word choice.

I shrugged. "It's better than my apartment. I love staying in hotels."

It was his time to make a face now. "You get tired of it, trust me. Even 'splendid' ones like this."

"Good thing I don't have to travel that much with my job then."

After he'd given his name to the desk clerk, he threw me a sideways glance and a teasing smile. "Some people are lucky."

I rolled my eyes and let the subject drop. I _did_ want a nap and was almost too tired to think properly – making conversation was slowly sapping me of the energy I had left, and I desperately needed all of it just to keep myself standing.

I'd been forced to get up at the crack of dawn for Edward to pick Jake and me up. We'd dropped him and Maddie off at Esme and Carlisle's before heading to the airport, and Edward had been just as bleary-eyed as me. He had wordlessly accepted a refill of coffee in his travel-mug from Carlisle, who – equally speechless – had shuffled his way to us clutching the coffee pot as if his life depended on it.

The flight itself was shockingly uneventful, but the crying baby in the seat in front of us ensured that I couldn't sleep my way through it. Edward was more sympathetic than me about the baby, since he had been in the same situation when Maddie was that young. I still kind of wanted to irrationally resent the child just a little bit, but I felt guilty just thinking about it. I couldn't blame the kid for crying – the flight was long, loud and mind numbingly boring.

I yawned hugely once we got into the elevator, leaning against Edward's shoulder. He chuckled softly.

"I wish I had time to sleep with you right now," he said in a wistful tone.

I snorted; I knew what he meant, and he'd probably missed his unintentional double meaning, but it was funny nonetheless.

"Oh, I'm sure we can fit a quickie in if you're really desperate, baby," I said in a slightly ridiculous voice. I was aiming for flirty and seductive, but I think I did it wrong.

"Wha-... oh, shut up," he said, "that's not what I meant. But now I wish I had time for that, too."

I hummed in agreement, pressing myself closer to his side. "You know what I think?"

"No, what?" he asked against my hair, placing a soft kiss there.

"Business meetings are overrated."

He laughed down his nose. "Sometimes, yes. Other times they're a necessary evil. Like this one."

I sighed despondently. I may have hammed it up a bit. "I don't think the bed is going to feel as amazing without you in it, too."

"You'll just fall asleep – you won't realise I'm gone."

I slapped his chest lightly, straightening up when the elevator came to a stop on our floor.

"Of course I'll notice. You're my personal toe-heater – my feet will be ice cold without you."

"I'm glad I make such a great impression on you in bed," he said, laughing to himself as he grabbed our bags.

"Oh, believe me, Edward... you make a _huge_ impression."

I may or may not have pinched his ass as I walked past, moving quickly; all I could think about now was the bed, and I wanted to assess it for comfyness.

And the sturdiness of its springs.

I opened our door eagerly once I reached it, letting out a soft sigh when I saw how lovely our room was. An open and spacious area stretched out before us, with a large couch in a warm brown being the main focus point. Beyond it, and directly facing the door, a large window let in the late-morning light and offered a wonderful view of downtown Chicago. It even had a wide window-seat, and I immediately knew I'd be spending my time alone there, writing and looking out over the city.

I turned to the right, where two open doorways on either side of the flat screen led into the bedroom. I could only glimpse the bed from my place at the door, but even from there, it looked amazing.

I barely paused to hold the door open for Edward before walking over to investigate it further.

It was magnificent. It was the kind of bed my own one wanted to be when it grew up. It was a thing of beauty.

My admiration for it may have been exaggerated by how tired I was, but at the moment, I didn't care. It was a spectacular bed.

I felt no shame as I toed off my shoes, shrugged out of my jacket and then crawled onto it slowly, groaning as my hands and knees sunk into its heavenly softness. Edward laughed at me when I flopped down on my back, spreading my arms and legs to each corner.

"Oh my god..." I stretched my muscles, feeling the four-hour flights' strain slowly melting away. "Edward, if you get on this bed with me right now, I'm not going to let you leave. I'm telling you this as a warning, since you seem so stubborn about going to that meeting and whatever."

"I appreciate your concern."

"You're _welcome_..." My voice was laughably breathy as I let myself completely relax into the warm hug this bed was giving me.

"I'll bring in our bags," Edward said with another laugh, leaving me to nurture my budding romance with the soft sheets, heavenly pillows and luxurious mattress.

I started falling asleep without even realising it. The sounds in the room became all the more distant as the fog in my mind grew thicker and thicker. It took me ages to connect the rustling sound I could hear to its most probable source, and even longer to remember why Edward was changing his clothes.

I could only respond with a sleepy groan when he leaned over the bed, tracing my cheek with his fingers.

"I'm going to my meeting now, baby. I'll be back in a few hours, okay?"

Groaning involved too much effort. I exhaled a little louder than usual instead.

I thought I heard a soft chuckle emanate from his general direction, but with sleep so close to overpowering my entire being, I had the attention span of a goldfish. If he did chuckle, I'd forgotten about it a second later.

Edward's soft, lingering kiss to my temple, however, was the only sensation strong enough to shoot through my half-unconscious mind with perfect clarity. My skin tingled, warm and aware of his touch. The last thing I noticed was the strange silence that took over the room after he left, tingeing my dreams with longing.

The fact that his kiss was the only thing I could clearly remember after waking up definitely gave me something to think about.

««‖»»

Writing proved almost impossible. I couldn't get my mind to focus, despite the new environment I was in, despite the solitude of having the hotel room to myself, and despite sitting in the extremely comfortable window seat. My laptop served no other purpose than heating my thighs as I stared out at the city, watching everything down below.

I had some things to consider, apparently. That's what I assumed anyway, seeing as my brain wouldn't let me think of anything else.

I had a sneaky suspicion that, somewhere along the way, I'd fallen in love with Edward. It felt strange, trying to accept this suspicion as reality, because I couldn't pin-point when it had happened and it didn't seem like me to completely miss something so huge.

As it was, I felt like a walking cliché – love had completely snuck up on me, latching onto my back like a monkey with otherworldly ninja-skills. I hadn't seen it coming, until it just suddenly dawned on me after I woke up from my nap.

I turned away from the view of the city, re-directing my attention to the actual work I had set out to do. Staring at the blinking black line – disrupting an otherwise blank page – for about ten minutes did nothing but frustrate me. I put the computer away with a huff; there was no use. I knew that when my brain felt like a bowl of spaghetti dropped on the floor, I had no chance in hell of writing something even remotely readable.

I tapped my fingers restlessly against my thigh, staring aimlessly at the room. It was so silent. Empty. It was a little oppressive, the way the room suddenly seemed so lifeless. Like not even my presence could make it feel less cold and lonely. It was utterly ridiculous for me to feel this way, since it was probably one of my favourite hotel rooms I'd ever stayed in. As I looked around though, it just felt like one of those set-ups you saw in furniture stores – a show room. Something told me this weird feeling had to do with Edward's absence, but I couldn't be sure. All I knew was that it didn't feel right without him here, too.

My eyes were drawn to the clock on the wall; I had no idea how long Edward's meeting might take, but he'd been gone for three hours already. Granted, I'd been asleep for about half of that time, but it was still too long.

I knew he was here on business, but somehow the majority of my mind couldn't get with the program. It kept insisting that this was a mini-vacation that was supposed to be filled with uninterrupted sexy-times. Edward being away on business meetings did not mesh well with uninterrupted sexy-times.

I started glaring at the room. It seemed like a slightly more efficient way to spend my time, rather than just mindlessly giving the sofa a moping face.

Abruptly, I stood from my seat, stomping slightly as I circumvented the space. I was getting more and more frustrated with the whole situation. The realisation that I'd fallen in love, being left alone but not actually enjoying it like I usually would, and my inability to write were all messing with my mind and mood.

The 'falling in love' thing was mostly to blame, though.

I stopped stomping in front of the mirror hanging opposite the TV. I didn't look any different than I had this morning, before I was aware of my obvious emotional refurbishment. _Should_ I look different? I'd been in love before, obviously, but now I couldn't seem to remember how it had felt, how I had realised it.

Dammit, was I always this slow on the uptake? My emotions should come with a huge, blinking neon sign, just so I'd actually be more aware of any changes.

I leaned towards the mirror, staring into my own eyes. Was I really in love with Edward?

I was, wasn't I?

_I think you are. It might just be possible_.

My eyes held no concrete answers. I just looked back at myself, the frustration I felt visible in the slight tightening of skin, the tiny downward pull of my eyebrows.

Nothing made sense. But then again, love didn't really make sense, did it? Not in the way sense was supposed to be made. Love could just possibly be the most irrationally rational thing in the world.

And now, I was probably afflicted by it again. _Probably_. Most likely.

Okay, definitely.

All because of that tiny little kiss. The skin on my temple tingled slightly, as if to remind me exactly how it had felt to have his lips there, so warm and soft. He had shaved that morning, so his chin had been smooth as it brushed against my jaw. I could still smell his aftershave as clearly as if I was holding the bottle under my nose.

I was acutely aware of my heart as I remembered that tiny kiss. A phantom squeeze and increased pulse rattled my emotions; looked like my neon sign was blinking to life, finally plugged in. Maybe the maintenance guy had fallen asleep on the job and only just woke up, but it was working now. There was no mistaking the huge, shiny message. This really was love. Quite intense love, too. I groaned when my heart squeezed a little more, raising my hand to rub over the spot on my chest. I really wanted Edward to come back now so I could just touch him.

Or see him, even. I just wanted to see his face.

"You're so screwed, Swan."

I nodded at myself in the mirror. I was right about that. Totally screwed. I didn't have a great track record for falling in love, after all.

Or staying that way.

Maybe that's why it was so difficult to remember what I'd felt like when I'd been in love before. All three previous attempts had definitely ended on sour notes.

Especially the last time.

My face crinkled at the thought of Demetri, drawing up as if I'd just smelled dog poo on my shoe. Which, in a way, was a pretty accurate description of him.

Thankfully, the dog poo analogy reminded me about Jake, and my mind grabbed this new distraction with a grateful sigh. Thinking about Demetri on my uninterrupted sexy-times vacation wasn't really how I'd pictured these two days going.

Just as I had turned away from the mirror, intent on giving Esme a call to check up on Jake, the door gave off a promising sound. Muted through the wood, I could hear a plastic key card against metal, followed by a deep click. I stopped in my tracks, eyes stuck on the door.

Excitement flashed through my stomach when it pushed open, a pure bolt of tickling anticipation.

Edward was back.

He blinked a few times when he saw me, seeming surprised to find me there. Then again, I was just standing still in the middle of the room, so maybe his surprise was to be expected.

"Hi," he said, shutting the door behind him.

He sounded completely normal. I sounded like an overenthusiastic spaz.

"Edward! Hi! You're back!"

I practically skipped towards him, unable to restrain myself.

He laughed at me, lightly dropping his suitcase on the floor. With his arms free, he held them wide open for me; I tried my best not to literally jump into them, but it was difficult to resist.

I bounced up on my toes so I could hug him properly. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist, steadying me against him.

"I think I'll need to take you on more business trips from now on – I wouldn't mind being greeted like this after a meeting all the time," he said, burying his face against my neck for a few seconds.

"Maybe this is a one-time thing?" I said, teasing him. I don't know where I got the mental capacity to do such a simple task as even that, though, seeing as his smell was overloading my olfactory system and melting my brain.

"A one-time thing? I think not. As if you could resist my charms, woman."

_Oh, you have no idea, buddy_.

"Shut up, I so could," I mumbled against his shoulder. Would it be weird if I started biting his neck? It was just so tantalisingly close. Right there, in front of my face.

_Bite it_.

"I think that's a theory we need to pass through some vigorous testing – it'll never hold up unless we've got the evidence to support it." He drew away, just far enough back that he could look into my eyes. His unrestrained grin did seriously strange things to me.

"Oh yeah? And how do you suppose we do these tests?"

"I'll bring you with me on all my business trips, obviously."

"Ah, I see. And then I just sit around in hotel rooms, waiting for you to come back?"

"Yes, exactly." He wagged his eyebrows, slyly sliding his hands down my back. If I didn't know him so well, I'd think he'd missed his mark by quite a few inches, since he proceeded to slide his fingers into the back-pockets of my jeans. "And so as to test all possible outcomes and reactions, just to ensure that our hypothesis is correctly examined, I think you should do the waiting-part in varying degrees of undress."

"Oh really?" I asked, trying not to laugh. Or moan, for that matter.

His hands _were_ on my ass, after all.

"Yes, really. I think it could be interesting to see if your level of nakedness has some correlation to your ability to resist my charms."

"So would my being more naked than dressed mean I can resist you better or worse?"

"Worse," he said immediately, pulling me a little tighter against him. "Which is good, since the more naked you are, the more I really, _really_ don't want you to resist me." He leaned in a little closer, his nose grazing my cheek. "In fact, I think you should start taking some of those clothes off now, because we're doing an awful lot of talking when we could be doing things that are a bit more... naughty."

I laughed loudly. "Oh my god, I can't believe you just said naught-"

"Less talking, more naughty, alright?" he interrupted, before he grabbed the back of my head with one hand and kissed me.

_Well, that shut me up_.

A surprised squeak left me, quickly turning into a moan as his lips worked their magic. There was just something about Edward's kisses that made me feel so alive, so sensitive to every single little sensation; it was like when people said humans only use ten percent of their brain's capacity – that was what it felt like my body had been doing, before Edward. Now though, it was working at full capacity, all one hundred percent being put to good use. All my nerve endings were exploding with sensory overload.

I clutched at him, running my hand through the soft hair at the back of his head. His tongue did quick, teasing swipes over my lips, never lingering for more than a second and never letting it touch mine, no matter how much I tried. My breath left me in a huffed sigh, and I bit down on his bottom lip – I saw it as a warning, but I think he just took it for encouragement.

His fingers tightened more and more on my ass, pulling my hips closer to him. I hummed with appreciation and ground against him without even thinking about it. The way his lips faltered for a couple of seconds before coming back with more urgency, harder and moving faster, made me think he appreciated it quite a lot, too.

"I think we should start working on getting you naked," Edward said, panting as he began walking me backwards. He bent down and kissed me again before I could respond.

"I think you're right," I said in a ridiculously breathless voice as his lips wandered, exploring the area around my ear and down my neck. "Also, I think we should get you naked too, because absence makes thing grow firmer and that should, as a result, mean that the firmer things are, the... _oh_... the more-... the more I'll miss it. Thus making things even firmer again."

All of that made perfect sense in my head.

"What?"

"I don't know, just get your clothes off," I moaned, shoving my hands under his suit jacket.

It felt horribly cliché to leave a trail of clothes from the living room to the bed, but with Edward's hand cupping my breasts while his lips and teeth and tongue did crazy things to my neck, I really couldn't care less.

He quickly guided me to lie across the bed, following me down to continue kissing every bit of skin he could reach.

I had a feeling uninterrupted sexy-times were about to commence.

"Oh, god... I love it when you do that," I told him, lifting my head to watch him nip his way down my chest. I groaned loudly, my eyes frantically following every movement of his lips as he neared my nipples.

He hummed deeply, flicking his tongue against the sensitive tip. I shuddered, my eyes closing without my consent. I felt the mattress dip under my ass as he planted his knees there, forcing my already spread thighs to accommodate him more generously.

Neither one of us had the patience for teasing anymore; a few quick bites and sucks was all I could take before my hands were on his shoulders and in his hair, pushing him down, down, down. He followed my lead willingly, dragging his lips across my skin and making me shiver as his warm breath contrasted with the chill in the air.

He glanced up at me as he slid to the floor, pressing a single kiss just above my underwear. His eyes were dark and heavy-lidded, holding mine as he tugged the fabric from my hips and down my legs.

"Oh, _god_..."

Firm and rough, his fingers dug into my thighs, spreading them and holding them open. I moaned, jerking my hips towards him. Blood was thundering through my veins, throbbing insistently between my legs. I wanted him there, his lips and tongue and fingers – I _needed_ him there. Without taking his eyes off mine, he turned his head just enough to quickly nip at my inner thigh with his teeth. I hissed, reaching down to rake my fingers through his hair.

I tugged. He followed.

Obscenities fell from my lips when he put his mouth on me. _This_. This was exactly what I had been expecting, what I had been daydreaming about for a week. This feeling of doing something so private with Edward, of spending some time completely forgetting that there were other people in the world... This was what I had been expecting out of this trip.

"So fucking good, _oh my god_...!"

His long, deep groan, heavy with approval and enjoyment, made a swell of heat rise in the area of his ministrations and I gasped. Knowing that he was enjoying what he was doing turned me on beyond belief, and my back arched off the bed for a few seconds – the pleasure of it all was shockingly intense.

"Oh, god... _Edward_, please! More, more... fuck- oh, god!"

He was absolutely relentless. He didn't give me even one second to catch my breath, his fingers digging harder and harder into my thighs, egging me on. The fervent hunger I could feel surging through him, the urgency of his movements, the muffled sounds coming from him... I felt like I was losing my mind. It didn't take long at all before he had me bucking wildly against him, clutching at his hair and the sheets beneath me. My head was thrown back, my mouth open wide as I gasped, moaned and swore.

I felt it growing, swelling, rushing forward, the undeniable grip on my body forcing me willingly closer. Closer, closer, closer, almost, _almost_, so close, so... so...

"I'm coming, I'm coming, oh god, don't stop, don't stop, don't sto-... _Oh!_"

My fast-paced ramblings cut short as everything exploded, shattering, tugging and pulling me under. Heat and pleasure and mind-numbing intensity shot through my every vein, every nerve, gripping my body; shaking me, making me buckle and tremble and arch and call out his name. It owned me completely for an all-too-short eternity.

"_H-holy... shit. _Holy... _shit_, oh my... god... oh, god, oh... _fuck_..."

My legs went unattractively floppy.

I gasped and shuddered as I felt Edward's lips against my stomach, hot and fervent. I still had a hand in his hair, and I pulled it ever so gently. I hoped he could feel the wordless 'thank you' imbedded in the gesture, but something told me he was too busy thinking of how to most efficiently get his underwear off in the least amount of time.

I kind of was, too.

Just the thought of having him above me, between my thighs, heavy and warm and moving with me, kissing me, feeling his muscles under my hands, and the _thrusting_...

I clenched hard, aching to feel something there instead of just emptiness. I was still throbbing and pulsing, barely recovered from the orgasm he'd given me, but I wanted _more_, immediately. I gripped his hair harder and pulled him up to my face.

I pushed him to stand in front of me and he dragged me up by my arms. I wasted no time in yanking his underwear down, exposing him to me. His mouth dropped open and he groaned when I took him in my hands, feeling the hot weight of him. I could feel him growing harder under my touch, the blood thrumming so close to the surface. He watched with endless fascination as I leaned in and gave him a few teasing licks, kisses and bites all but where he really wanted it.

But this wasn't about teasing. It just wasn't that kind of occasion.

"_Fuuuck_...!"

A few quick pumps and a rather thorough exploration of the tip was all the patience I could spare. I wanted him inside me as soon as possible, and while I usually loved watching him come undone while I did this, I had plans to come undone at least one more time myself.

He immediately followed me when I shuffled back a little on the bed, making room for him between my legs. I clutched at his back, pulling him down over me and leaning in to his kisses. Our mouths were everywhere, our minds too distracted and our bodies too urgent to coordinate our lips properly.

"Do you miss me more, now that you're naked?" Edward said, panting harshly. I think he meant for it to come out as more of a joke, but he didn't really succeed. A small groan left him as he placed himself against me, and I gasped at feeling him so close. This was one of my favourite moments, that little space of time before he first filled me. It always felt better than I remembered, bringing with it a small sense of surprise.

"I always miss you," I told him through my own panting, right before he pushed forward. The last word turned into another gasp.

His eyes snapped up to mine then, something unidentifiable mixed with surprise flashing across his face. He stared at me as he moved forward, mouth hanging open and forehead furrowed with his pleasure. I couldn't keep track of what was happening in his eyes, as one emotion after the other seemed to appear only to be replaced less than a second later.

I dug my nails into his back, feeling his hips meeting my inner thighs. He paused there, and I shivered – the pleasure was agonising, and I couldn't decide if the torture of him stilling wasn't actually just as amazing as feeling him move within me.

He licked his lips, that unnamed emotion etching itself into the angles of his face. I felt like I couldn't breathe as he stared at me like that. His eyes were tender as he bent down to kiss me slowly, softly. He lingered with his lips, leaning his forehead against mine. I watched his eyelids close and he took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. I felt the warm air softly roll over my chin and down my throat, somehow feeling warm against my overheated skin. I felt the muscles of his back steadily shift under my hands. I felt his hips flexing just a millisecond before he slowly pulled out, just an inch.

We both groaned at the delicious sensation; his skin and hardness slipped easily from me, but I could feel _everything_. I clenched around him, my body's natural reactions taking over. A shiver ran up my spine, cascading over my skin in tiny goosebumps; I was so sensitive down there that I could already tell I might be able to come undone more than once.

His eyes opened again, locking with mine. He moved then, setting the pace with a slow thrust. I moaned breathlessly, tightening my hold on his back. With a flex of my hips, I took him deeper, watching out of the corner of my eye how his lips trembled around a shaky exhale.

I had no idea what had gotten in to him, but the atmosphere between us gradually transformed as we began to move. Going from his urgent behaviour just a minute earlier, I would have thought this would be fast and hard, loud and sweaty, but something had changed. I could feel it, this weird sort of... _intense_ calm, radiating from him to me. Instead of a raging fire, this was like red-hot embers - this quiet heat felt more intimate and I revelled in it, feeling its bone-deep warmth spreading through me. I angled my face up to kiss him, our harsh breathing clashing between our open lips.

There were no words needed for this. I was suddenly overwhelmed by my feelings for him, by how much I really did love him. I cupped his face with one of my hands, letting the other grasp onto his lower back. A small groan left him, his eyes closing under the pleasure. He was so beautiful I just couldn't look away.

My earlier assumption had been right - my body was apparently feeling generous with its pleasure, and I quickly came again.

And again.

And again.

I felt like I barely had time to catch my breath, but I didn't question it. This so very rarely happened for me, and I was just going to enjoy it.

Edward had a serious look of concentration on his face throughout, carefully listening to what I needed. He ground against my most sensitive spot until I could barely speak. He went faster when I begged him, harder when I pleaded; he slowed down when he wanted to tease me, and he whispered dirty things in my ear when I was close; he bit me, kissed me, licked me and grabbed me, held me down, pinned me to the bed with his strokes while making me fly.

When he couldn't hang on any longer, he burrowed his face against my neck, groaning in a deep voice.

"Fuck, fuck... Bella, oh shit, I'm-..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, _shit_...! Oh god, you're making me come, _fuck_."

"I wanna see you," I panted, tugging at his hair. He swore harshly, lifting his head as his thrust turned erratic and instinctual. He fruitlessly fought to keep his eyes open, the sexiest sounds falling from his lips. I couldn't help but moan at the sight of him.

His whole face scrunched up, and a strangled cry tore from him as he stilled for just a second; he looked paralysed by the sensation. Then his body took over again, frantically trying to make it last as long as possible. He gasped and whimpered and groaned as he started shaking, hips slamming against me in a few final thrusts.

"Oh, fuck... fuck, _fuck, fuck_... fuck, shit, fuck..."

A breathless laugh left me at his very vulgar word vomit. That was exactly how I felt, too.

He slowly sank down on me, pushing his face back against my neck. Trembles went down his spine, making his muscles spasm and twitch.

I wrapped my arms tightly around him, feeling him grow heavier and more relaxed above me. His rapid breathing against my neck made me shiver pleasurably.

We lay in silence for a minute; I didn't know about him, but I used that time trying to reassemble my scrambled mind.

After a little while, he breathed deeply, shifting on top of me. With a soft, lingering kiss to my shoulder, he arranged himself sluggishly at my side, groaning to himself. I clamped my legs together, forcing myself to get to my feet – the bedding may have been rumpled, but we were still on top of it, and sex had the annoying habit of being kind of messy. Just the thought of the hotel staff finding a 'suspicious' stain... I just couldn't deal.

I quickly swiped Edward's shirt off the floor and brought it with me to the bathroom.

When business was taken care of, I studied myself in the mirror for a few seconds; flushed face, messy hair, glassy eyes and Edward's shirt buttoned across my chest. There was absolutely no mistaking what I had been up to.

Edward stared at my legs as I walked back to him; he'd moved under the covers now and lay against the pillows, so I burrowed as close to his side as I could. I planted my nose against his neck, kind of determined to just keep it there for a few hours.

"I'd say that was a pretty successful first test of our theory," he said after a while, squeezing my hip slightly.

"Yeah, seemed pretty solid. We should probably do a few more tests, though, just to really build a strong base for our research paper."

He hummed in agreement. "If only my labs at school had been like this – I might have enjoyed them a bit more then."

I laughed. "True, but now we get to feel all scientific and smart about our incredibly original experiment."

"Do you think we'll have a shot at a Nobel prize?"

"I don't think they give out of a Nobel Prize for Sex, baby. Sorry."

"Damn. Well, maybe we can get it published in Playboy or something. Same thing, really."

"Totally. I hope we get to meet The Hef."

He laughed, the sound rumbling in his chest under my ear. "That would be pretty cool."

We lapsed into silence for a bit after that. I closed my eyes, just enjoying the feeling of having him so close. It was amazing what his presence did to the atmosphere of the room – it no longer felt cold and uninviting. I felt like I could actually enjoy it now.

Edward fingered the fabric covering my hip. "You know... I'd planned to take you out to dinner tonight, but now I don't know if we can do that."

I raised my head from his shoulder. "What? Why?"

He shrugged, as if it were no big deal. "Because I don't think I can actually let you wear anything else besides my shirt for the rest of the day, and my hand would get tired after punching every guy who laid eyes on you."

I laughed loudly, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "But then you'll miss the pretty dress I brought with me. I wanted to wear it out for dinner tonight."

"As much as I love seeing you in a dress, I don't think it will be sexier than you wearing my shirt. Sorry."

"But this is a special dress."

His eyebrow rose sceptically. "Oh, really? How come?"

"Well, it's cut low in the back, so I can't wear a bra, first of all. Second, it's so tight that panty-lines can be really visible, so I always wear a-..." I then gasped, feigning dismay – quite successfully, too, if I did say so myself. I cast a heartbroken glance at my suitcase. "Oh no..."

"What?" Edward said, actually looking concerned. Maybe my acting wasn't crap enough for him to realise I was just playing him.

"I forgot to pack my thong," I told him, my voice dropping to a slightly more seductive tone. I looked back at him, watching his concerned frown melt away to a slightly glassy-eyed expression. "This isn't good, Edward."

"O-oh?" He swallowed.

I shook my head slowly, leaning in towards him. My lips hovered over his as I spoke.

"No, it isn't good at all. Because if we _do_ go out, and I _do_ wear this dress... not only will I have to go without a bra, but I won't be able to wear any panties _at all_..."

I watched his eyes widen.

"At all?"

I shook my head again, feeling a suggestive smirk toying at my lips.

He looked down my body as best he could, seeming to get a little stuck on my boobs pressed against his chest.

"W-well, I-... I mean, we wouldn't want you to-... to have brought the dress for nothing, right?"

"Right..." I whispered, slowly snaking a leg over his hips until I was straddling him. A quiet groan left him as his hands found my naked thighs.

"You're a devil-woman," he whispered, his fingers clenching rhythmically against my skin.

"I try," I said, bending down to kiss him deeply.

I had a feeling dinner would be very interesting.

* * *

The dinner will be in the next chapter, which hopefully shouldn't take as long as this one did. I really do apologise for being so slow with updating – I know it sucks. You guys really are amazing.

In unrelated news, I just wanted to quickly mention that I have an entry in the **Fic A Pic** contest, hosted by **Souplover9**,** Spanglemaker9 **and** TallulahBelle**. You can read the entry on my profile, or go to the contest page to read all the entries (and vote between 13-22 February, if you want): **http:/ www. / ~ficapiccontest**

I think that's it from me. Guys, thank you so much for reading – I hope you enjoyed it.

Until next time,

/Vic


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